Gina Temple: Huge Hurdles of Organizational Change
Organizational change management, otherwise known as OCM, is a structured process. According to Gina Temple, it is also a set of tools for managing the people side of change. It zeroes in on how employees could react to the project so you can establish steps to curb resistance.
Defining Organizational Change
A good OCM plan can lead to a successful digital transformation instead of failing to get it off the ground. Often, companies jump into the technical side of their projects and assume everything else will fall into place. When this happens, employees have been seen to grow resentful and even fearful.
According to Gina Temple, without clear and constant communication in and around the change, employees may have unanswered questions such as: “Will new things be difficult to learn?” “How will it affect my job role?” and even “Why is it necessary?”
By focusing on OCM from the start, leaders can keep team members in the loop during each project phase. It helps dispel rumors, engage employees, and address common change management obstacles.
On that note, here are two huge challenges in change management.
Change is a necessary element in every successful business. Many executives grasp the importance of implementing fresh processes that benefit their organization.
However, despite this realization, some may not be fully aware of the exact part they should take in the transition. Decision-makers may also underestimate the resources and time required to introduce these changes. As a result, Gina Temple mentions that wires get crossed, and expectations are unmet. Communication becomes inconsistent because visibility and transparency slip away.
Also, remember that employees are watching during this time. If leaders at the organization are not championing the change, the common question of employees becomes, “Why should we?”
Users need continuous support whenever they learn a new system. This support should come down from the top. While active sponsorship can invigorate a team, Gina Temple says the opposite also holds: Employees who do not feel supported may lead to low user adoption and missed objectives. Initially, project sponsors and stakeholders should understand and embrace the change. At this point, executives should be some of the most active and visible change advocates.
Customizing communications for efficiency
It is important to develop an effective strategy for change management communication. Simply sending out an email blast each time there is an update will not usually be the best approach. Instead, it is important to consider how each user group should receive messages. After that, consider who should deliver those messages.
Most of the time, employees want to hear business-level change updates from their top-tier leaders. When it comes to more personal change information, such as how the change will affect their job, employees want to get insights from their direct supervisor. Communication styles cannot exactly be tailored to each person. That said, employees can be grouped into categories.
For instance, think about which teams will opt for conference room meetings and which ones need one-on-one conversations. Are there any details that should be focused on over others, especially when updating certain groups?
It might take a little more time to go this route, says Gina Temple. However, it helps ensure that messages are absorbed how they should be.
Gina Temple has served in the healthcare community for over 30 years with experiences ranging from for-profit to not-for-profit organizations, unionized to non-unionized facilities, and acute care settings to outpatient centers. Read similar articles on healthcare and leadership from Gina Temple by clicking here.
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