It's often cited as the biggest challenge during a project: change management. People get stuck in the "that's the way we've always done it" mindset, and it takes special skills to snap people out of it.
In a blog on insurancenetworking.com, Imran Ilyas, partner with PwC's Advisory Services, and his colleagues say during policy administration implementations, it's necessary for carriers to define a targeted organizational change management strategy. Organizational change management is crucial, not only to minimize disruption during the change but also to enable adoption and realization of the business benefits.
"Moreover, our experience shows us that 'soft' stuff like change management is often the hardest," Ilyas says.
We also often hear that this management needs to be driven by someone at the executive level. Yes, definitely a must early in a project's lifecycle and after going live.
"Leadership must hold the organization accountable for new responsibilities, and also must realign processes to support business case realization," Ilyas says.
But, what's the next step for that leadership? Digital Strategist Paul Boag, author of "Digital Adaptation," recently wrote a blog for E-consultancy.com, an international research and training group focused on digital business. In his blog entry "Why change management must change in the digital economy," he writes "Companies no longer need change management processes. They need change leaders. People comfortable with the new, and happy operating in an environment of uncertainty and chaos. Web professionals are ideally suited to this role."
Boag didn't elaborate on the "change leaders." Are these executives, business analysts, end users? I'm going to get soft here, but identifying some end users who are not at the executive level could get you a long way, and at the same time engage and encourage some of the company's future leadership. Think about who you trust for advice in your own profession: your peers. If you're trying to manage change in a large way, with a large number of people, get a few of those influencers on board. Tap that person who looks engaged and excited. He or she will feel useful and be encouraged to share that excitement with the rest of the community.
