The ultimate goal of every strategic HR project is to effect change in your organization. Implementing this organizational change is a complex challenge. Research shows that only 20-50% of all initiated projects are successful in meeting this challenge.
Among the success factors, the formal project management technique (for example PMBOK, PRINCE2, MSP, Agile, etc.) that is applied only accounts for 6% of the project’s success. The most important success factor, however, is internal user involvement and commitment.
“Internal users” are the stakeholders who have to utilize the proposed solution in daily practice. They have to change their behavior as a result of your project. They are the employees in your organization who have to change their daily routine, current way of working, or attitude.
How do you involve internal users in order to realize a successful organizational change?
Welcome to Leon M. Hielkema’s blog about strategic project management, change management, and implementing organizational change. The posts contain mind-provoking ideas on how to create support and buy-in, reduce resistance to change, influence stakeholders, sell your ideas, and many other insights that will boost your career as internal professional! Leon M. Hielkema is a bestselling author of the series “Strategic Project Management SPOMP." Please visit http://www.SeduceStakeholders.com
Friday, June 15, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
People Need to Change
Every project results in various people within the organization having to change their behavior, attitude, or working method.
For example, a project to introduce new payroll software leads to a new way of working. A project aimed to simplify a certain form leads to people having to learn how to fill out the new form in a different way than they are used to. An implementation of a new recruitment and selection strategy leads to various people having to adjust the way they currently work.
The more strategic the project, the more fundamental and invasive the organizational change is that you have to realize.
For example, a project to introduce new payroll software leads to a new way of working. A project aimed to simplify a certain form leads to people having to learn how to fill out the new form in a different way than they are used to. An implementation of a new recruitment and selection strategy leads to various people having to adjust the way they currently work.
The more strategic the project, the more fundamental and invasive the organizational change is that you have to realize.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
A Report won't Change Behavior
Your client gives you the assignment to implement Talent Management in your organization. Suppose that you find an excellent report on the internet on this topic from an identical organization. What would happen if you deliver this advisory report to your client one hour after you have been given the assignment?
Your client will probably have many questions after reading the report. This is because it is not the report’s content (i.e. knowledge transfer) but the interaction with the client that creates the support. The interaction prior to the advisory report gives the client the chance to become accustomed to your ideas. You allow the client to mentally grow towards the advice you are going to provide.
The same applies to internal users and other stakeholders. Delivering the advisory report without prior interaction is considered as an internet report and will evoke resistance. In order to create support for your ideas and to prevent resistance, you therefore need to organize frequent communication moments (interaction) with stakeholders. Frequent communication makes the stakeholders’ minds susceptible to accept the change that you want to realize with your project.
Your client will probably have many questions after reading the report. This is because it is not the report’s content (i.e. knowledge transfer) but the interaction with the client that creates the support. The interaction prior to the advisory report gives the client the chance to become accustomed to your ideas. You allow the client to mentally grow towards the advice you are going to provide.
The same applies to internal users and other stakeholders. Delivering the advisory report without prior interaction is considered as an internet report and will evoke resistance. In order to create support for your ideas and to prevent resistance, you therefore need to organize frequent communication moments (interaction) with stakeholders. Frequent communication makes the stakeholders’ minds susceptible to accept the change that you want to realize with your project.
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