Managing Change

To be able to keep ahead of new technological and economical developments, companies need to embrace change. According to research and advisory firm Gartner, the typical company has undertaken five major organisational changes in the previous three decades. An additional 75% of these companies expect to pursue additional change initiatives in the forthcoming three decades. Even more pressure is felt now with most organisations feeling the impact of Covid19.

Organisational change is typically pursued because it is believed the transition will allow a company to operate at a higher level-getting more efficient, productive, innovative, and rewarding. When the change is handled incorrectly, it can develop into a double-edged sword, resulting in a loss of productivity and poor performance from your employees.

Managers and leaders must understand their role in handling change. We have outlined the various kinds of organisational change, along with some advice you can use to deal with the change management process more effectively.


Organisational change is the process where a company alters key elements of its operations or strategy. This may involve changes to business culture, essential re-engineering, organisational structure, or major initiatives and goals.

Based on the objectives you are trying to accomplish, organisational change may be either constant or intermittent. Organisational change is typically categorized into two kinds: Adaptive and transformational change. Adaptive changes are modest, incremental alterations that an organisation undertakes to evolve over time. They may be thought of as the fine-tuning of procedures and business strategies. Transformational changes, on the other hand, are larger in scale and scope, and typically involve a radical change in direction for the company. These changes are often caused by external forces putting pressure on the business, like a new competitor in the market.


Below are five tips and strategies you can use to better manage change in your workplace.

1. Know the Process of Change

No two change initiatives will be the same. But the huge majority of those who are successful follow the steps of a change management procedure. All change procedures have a set of starting conditions (Stage A) and an endpoint (Stage B). The change process is everything that occurs between these two stages. It involves multiple steps which are normally grouped into three phases: Preparation, execution, and follow-through. Here's what happens during each stage:

Preparation: The change manager is focused on preparing both the company and its workers. This involves helping the workers understand the need for the impending transition and outlining the vision and strategy for achieving it.

Execution: The change manager is focused on executing changes in a manner which is compatible with the business's vision for the future.

Follow-through: The change manager is focused on making sure that the change sticks and becomes embedded in the corporation's culture and practices.

2. Know the Forces of Change

To effectively manage change, managers must first grasp why it is needed. Without doing this, it can be difficult for you to craft a plan that addresses root issues and pressing questions, such as:What pressures are driving change? Are they internal drivers, such as a new direction? Are there outside pressures, like the development of new technologies, a change in your business, or a new competitor? By understanding the precipitating factors which have made an organisational change required, you will be better suited to deal with those concerns.

3. Create a Strategy

When the motive for change is known, you want to create a strategy. This strategy should broadly outline the reasons for change, define its scope, outline key stakeholders, establish a group, and supply a comprehensive roadmap of the steps which will have to complete the project. Having a defined plan in place makes it easier to communicate the change to your team members and track progress toward key milestones and goals.

4. Communicate

When it comes to directing your organization and employees through a period of significant change, focused and clear communication is among the most effective tools in your arsenal. Ultimately, you need to be capable of communicating change to two quite distinct audiences. The first includes your employees and staff members: These individuals will need to comprehend the need for change, in addition to how it will impact their job duties. Often, the most important thing a manager can do is not recognize the need for change, but excite the momentum to start and take care of the change.

Other important key stakeholders are members of management, the C-Suite, and board members. If you're the individual proposing a change, it is these people who have to be convinced it is needed. If they've pioneered the change but charged you with overseeing the process, it is these people whom you have to regularly update on the status of the project.

5. Prepare for Roadblocks

No matter how thoroughly you prepare for change, everything isn't always going to go according to plan. You will need to be ready for several possible outcomes. By doing your best to anticipate roadblocks, it is possible to take some of the challenges out of this equation. Enable your employees to alter their behaviour by eliminating the barriers that stop them from working toward change. When those barriers are identified, even the most complex issues can be addressed and corrected.


Nobody is born with experience in managing organisational change; it is a skill that typically takes several years of hands-on expertise to develop. Bearing this in mind, there are steps you can take to prepare for the job. As well as embracing as many chances as you can flex your change management muscles, pursuing professional development opportunities, including an online course, maybe an exceptional way to hone your skills and become a better change manager. Have a look at our Academy, we are in the process of preparing a number of practical courses based on the experience of our experts.