Why are we still talking about the difference between Project and Change Management?

 

The topic of change management is well written about and well debated and there is no end of resources that will help decipher the difference between change and project management.  It is not our intention to repeat what has gone before but to clarify why this topic remains important and outline where the differences can be suspended, and these two domains of expertise can work together for better outcomes.

So firstly, why are we still talking about this?  Recent events have seen a surge in change activity and a need to execute critical change, at pace, with intended outcomes – that combination is rare but in some circumstances is currently essential for survival.  The skills required to design and execute business change are not readily available in organisations that were not previously prepared for the scale and intensity of change now upon us, but these skills, methods and techniques are now in high demand.  They are also in increasingly high supply as people gravitate towards the opportunity and challenge that comes with change of all shapes and sizes.

So, it is a current topic and relevant for many businesses to define what change management really looks like for them and where project management fits to make these efforts effective.

What is change management?

Where project management provides the disciplined structure for crafting and implementing change, change management really focuses on the adoption of change, ensuring people engage with and embrace new practices.  A change managed in this context is singularly looking to ensure project outcomes are integrated into the organisation and that change lasts, using an understanding of human behaviour and the psychology of change to tackle cognitive, emotional, or behavioural barriers.  This brings with it a heavy focus on stakeholders and the operating context more than the content of what is being changed and is also concerned with the skills and capabilities of those impacted by change to be able to cope and ultimately thrive.  To a certain degree, whilst project managers are pre-occupied with project set-up, change managers are likely to assessing change readiness as the pre-cursor for change strategies and tactics.

What is project management?

In brief, project management involves the application of skills, techniques, and tools to a set of activities to ensure requirements or outcomes are met.  This usually involves some degree of project initiation (set-up) in the first instance – ensuring the project aims, scope and resource requirements are defined before planning starts.  Project management also encompasses the planning and delivery of effort to achieve the intended outcomes.  This would ordinarily be based on relevant project methodology or approach that is the specialism of the project team or the most fit for purpose.  In flight, project management ensures close monitoring of progress, output, and benefits to provide clear and accurate status reporting and adjustment of plans to ensure project requirements are met.

Where do change and project management co-exist?

Whether you are managing a project or managing change – both involve the management of relationships and the ability to influence the actions and behaviours of other people – either through a planned methodology or a with analysis and interpretation of human behaviour.  Projects and change do not happen unless people do something different.  Similarly, both require a keen identification and mitigation of risk.  In project management this usually manifests as tangible, technical complexity, process, or system related, whereas change management usually deals with the unpredictability of people and the related behavioural or conduct risk.

Another way of looking this is that project management has a greater emphasis on “transaction” or series of transactions as opposed to fundamental “transformation”.  Change management relies more heavily on the power of influence through enabling leadership styles rather than the command of line authority. These associations are not mutually exclusive but helps the thinking.  In certain scenarios team members that are involved in projects may perceive their activities as discrete or unconnected in a transactional way, particularly if they have a role with a narrow scope and they are providing functional support on multiple  projects.

This article – managing change through project management – was written in 1983 but is still housed on the Institute of Project Management’s website and provides a comprehensive discussion of this intersection for those that prefer further detail.

Aspire2BLean and Blackmore Four offer expertise in organisational change management that is context-rich and outcome-oriented. Our companies work in partnership where our combined perspectives work to integrate people and process solutions to deliver performance, growth, agility, productivity, and effectiveness.

Founders New Book – “Coaching for Cultural Transformation ; Staying competitive in Shifting Environments”

 

We thought we would share a short precis of  Aspire2BLean founder’s new book.

The book may be of interest to any leader or coach embarking on a significant change management or cultural transformation programme. It is not a coaching manual or a playbook on how to coach, but how effective coaching can support major cultural shifts in large organisations as a means of driving business performance.  John shares his knowledge and experience with practical examples on how to make a difference. The book also references numerous models and change management  theory.

Some of the reviewers have said the following

“John has cracked the code of successful cultural transformation. His book is a primer that lays out the most business effective roadmap to guide sustainable change.”— James B. Porter, Jr., Former Vice President, E. I. DuPont and Company

“Punctuated with autobiographical vignettes, this is a genuinely accessible pedagogical resource.”— Tom Vine, Associate Professor, Suffolk Business School 

“Timeless, undeniably practical, refreshingly realistic, and 100% on point. Every leader and coach embarking on a culture change or transformation programme should read this first and keep it close to hand throughout the journey!” — Sehaam Cyrene PCC, Founder, Better Conversations & Associates

If you are interested, the book can be purchased from Amazon or direct from McGrawHill Education. If you do find it informative, please leave a review or share with colleagues and associates.

 

What are the blocks stopping your organisation being efficient / effective?

Before we delve into the blocks that could be stopping your organising to its full potential, we need to understand the difference between organisational effectiveness and organisational efficiency. In simple terms the first, can be described as the “what” an organisation delivers Continue reading “What are the blocks stopping your organisation being efficient / effective?”

Scaling with Agile Thinking

 

We sometimes think that Lean & Agile is all about scaling back, in a context of removing “stuff” or unnecessary processes. However using Lean and Agile can help us grow. The leaner we are, the faster we can react to the market place, not just in terms of change, but in terms of growth. Industries such as digital tech, online food retail, takeaways, insurance, banking have increased significantly during the recent crisis.

This period of reflection has Continue reading “Scaling with Agile Thinking”

Unnecessary Complexity & Waste – Bin It

As we move into a difficult time are first thoughts are for our families and our livelihoods. We are correctly looking at the way we work and taking advantage of all the digital tools available. Others are rightly sharing their  knowledge and experience around the mental health aspects of remote working which is critical for performance. I have blogged about this before Continue reading “Unnecessary Complexity & Waste – Bin It”

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast”

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast”

To be successful, a revised business strategy requires vision, transformation and employee engagement. Transformation, or cultural change, is the hardest to achieve and engagement depends on it entirely.

Have you ever found yourself sitting up at 1 am watching that shark documentary again, despite a 5 am alarm call for an important morning meeting?

If so, you are not alone. It’s human nature to continue doing what we are currently doing, despite knowing perfectly well it may be to our cost. It’s called human stasis.

For example, it’s widely accepted that most families could save thousands per year if they changed their behaviour, eliminated waste and shopped around more for their utilities and other essential requirements. Despite the ease of doing so on comparison websites, many don’t, and the providers’ profits are dependent on this irrational aversion to change.

“Watermelons frequently go from shop to fridge to bin.”

In business, collective resistance to change amplifies the problem and it’s the biggest barrier to the successful implementation of a new, exciting and often essential strategy.

You may have a clear business objective, a perfect corporate vision and an insight-driven strategy to achieve that, but if your people aren’t engaged and willing to accept change, it will likely fail to achieve the desired results.

So, what can be done to effect organisational cultural transformation?

It is the synthesis of three elements:

  1. Systems
  2. Passion
  3. Behaviour
  • Your organisation must have the essential tools, systems, and processes in place to underpin and enable the desired change.
  • Those leading the organisation must be visibly passionate about the need for change and its importance for the future of the business.
  • As that passion propagates through your organisation, behavioural change can then be encouraged through training, capability development, coaching, and mentoring.

One final thought … in 1998, Blockbuster could have acquired Netflix for $50m. Today, Neflix has a market cap of $137bn and Blockbuster is nowhere to be seen. Resistance to change can be deadly.

John Cockburn-Evans is professional “business declutterer” and “lean” machine. He is an expert international consultant and coach with over 25 years’ experience in a range of industries.

Internal Personal Efficiency – The importance of an “Interdependent Culture”

I have been reflecting quite a bit recently about this topic, and the potential for further improvements in personal efficiency. Overall company efficiency is the sum of the component parts i.e. the aggregate efficiencies. This is why it is important to stay focused on our personal efficiency. I have blogged about productive people before, but quite often we think we are better than we actually are. One factor is that in the corporate or large company world, we can get sucked into “Other People’s Waste”. What do I mean by that? Inevitably we have  to work in teams , whether that be large or small. Each team member will carry with them their own waste. Continue reading “Internal Personal Efficiency – The importance of an “Interdependent Culture””

Getting Clearer on Productivity

operator bending metal sheet by sheet bending machine, cnc control metal sheet bending machine, high precision and high accuracy metal sheet bending machine

 

The Brexit position has become more uncertain and business confidence dropped further, even though the UK is still outperforming other EU nations such as Italy and Germany in terms of growth. This vindicates more than ever the need for a “Lean” approach with businesses more agility in the market place. Continue reading “Getting Clearer on Productivity”

Productivity Inhibits Curiosity

In the line of work I do, there is a constant drive for productivity and efficiency. This clearly has its benefits, but it can be a hidden hindrance. As we rush to clear our job lists, key activities and work to have impact with our strategic goals, we have very little time to step back. This may sound obvious, and the principles of effective time management are well established, but what are the unintended consequences of this “hurried” or “rushed” state we create for ourselves? I use the word “ourselves” because even though our plates are filled by others, we have the power to control our environs.  Continue reading “Productivity Inhibits Curiosity”