6 methods and ideas for change within organizations
Organization development and change management keep running into, over, through, and around each other. As I’ve been between full-time internal OD roles and back to consulting, the areas of change I keep getting asked to support look like:
- talent development;
- ERP, HRIS, LMS, and implementation need strong OD perspectives on change;
- management succession;
- shifts in performance evaluation with the emergence of hybrid teams
- how do we keep employee engagement while looking at employee experience and its connection to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging;
- changes from the rapid and high turnover of team members.
Below are 6 methods and concepts of change and OD work that I’ve found useful, and I hope the ideas support your change and OD processes.
- Thought-provoking questions: Having a series of well-crafted opening questions enables you to understand the current environment, identify the hopes or business cases for change, and initiate meaningful discussions with stakeholders. These questions serve as a foundation for exploring the changing context.
- Extrospection: Your ability to observe and understand how others react to change is crucial. Being aware of different perspectives and reactions allows you to tailor your methods and approaches to best support the team or organization through the change process.
- Diverse change tools and methods: A broad array of change tools, methods, maps, and philosophies provides you with a range of options to choose from. It’s important to be familiar with different approaches so that you can adapt your language and techniques to align with what the client knows and feels comfortable with.
- Persuasion skills: The ability to effectively persuade and influence stakeholders is essential, particularly when faced with resistance or political challenges. Using language or data that resonates with key individuals can help overcome resistance and facilitate a win-win-win outcome.
- Visual representation of change: Utilizing a process or visual representation to illustrate the operational and people impacts of the change can be valuable. This visual aid allows for discussions and sensemaking, helping stakeholders understand what is happening and engage in a constructive dialogue.
- Sustainability and feedback mechanisms: Establishing agreements and feedback loops to monitor and sustain the change is critical. This allows the client to assess what is working and what isn’t, make necessary adjustments, and eventually integrate the change into their business-as-usual processes.