Managing change in project environments

Join in a highly interactive and practical course drawing on more than 12 years’ change management consulting experience in project environments. We kick off by covering the fundamentals of organisational change management and understanding the psychology of change. A world class change management methodology is provided supported with an extensive repository of proven tools and templates. The methodology and toolset can be adapted easily to unique requirements and circumstances that enable change facilitators to add value rapidly and effectively. A practical methodology and efficient tools are usually necessary but never sufficient preconditions for good change management, for these are largely limited to what must be done. In change management, how things are done is often at least equally important and, for this reason, we unpack case studies representing complex challenges not easily addressed by the application of tools. We also play The Change Game™ that tests and hones participants’ ability to handle tricky scenarios typically encountered in managing change.

Day 1:

 

Welcome and introduction

Checking in

Introduction

• Project and change management
  • What is a project?
  • Generic project phases
  • Why is change management required?
  • Change management defined
• How much change management is required and who should do it?
  • Key project resources
• Psychological reactions to change

 

Day 2:

 

Checking in

Recap on day 1

Change management methodology and tools

• Preparation
  • Sharing: Telling our stories
  • Theoretical underpinning
  • Tool training

During Preparation we lay the foundation of the change initiative. Specific areas of focus include:

• Developing shared clarity regarding the true scope and nature of the change
• Perform effective “front end loading” with regard to senior leadership ownership, sponsorship and roles
• Clearly position the initiative with regard to the overall organisational strategy
• Assess the cross-impact of other initiatives and the extent to which the organisation can bear the additional “load” that will be imposed by the new initiative.

 

• Execution
  • Sharing: Telling our stories
  • Theoretical underpinning
  • Tool training

 

                The Execution phase occurs in support of the main part of the initiative that will result in the implementation and a transition to the “to be”. There are four main areas during the Execution phase:

• Manage the process

• Manage stakeholders

• Enable the change

• Communicate

   

• Sustaining
  • Sharing: Telling our stories
  • Theoretical underpinning
  • Tool training

 

 

                Specific areas of focus during the post-implementation phase                include:

• Complete the transfer of ownership from the project team to the business, if applicable

• Ensure that leadership understands their new roles, and are equipped to perform these roles

• Confirm that performance management systems are aligned with the new environment and that there is effective performance management to address non-compliance and poor discipline in terms of the requirements of the new environment

• Establish an effective support network

• Verify that formal mechanisms are in place to address benefit realisation

Ensure that key performance indicator s and success factors are well defined and understood by all relevant role players.

Day 3:

Checking in

Recap on day 2

Change management methodology and tools

• Putting it all together
  • Map a world class change approach to a typical project timeline.
  • Scope the change management resource requirements.

Dealing with complexity: Case studies that cover challenges such as:

• Company politics and your project: How to handle it without getting involved.
• What to do when the business has not bought into the change management concepts
• Change management and organisational development: Why it is important to separate the two.
• When in Rome…: Integrating the change effort with the organisational culture and norms.
• What is the best positioning of change management on a project?
• The project manager and change management: Your responsibility and role.
• When critical project team members don’t see eye to eye: what should you do?
• Project technicalities: How much does a change manager need to know?
• Internal project team change management: How much effort is required?
• Project roles and responsibilities: Why they should be clearly and formally defined
• Keeping to your change and communication plan at the right level of detail.

 

The Change Game™: A board game that tests and hones your ability to handle tricky scenarios typically encountered in managing change

• Simulates real-life events.
• Allows participants to share knowledge and learn from each other.
• Makes the theory practical.
• Is fun to play and never fails to make people laugh.

Where are we now?
Closing

Ivan Overton

BA (Wits); BA Hons (Applied Psychology) (RAU); MA (Psych) (Cum Laude) (RAU)

 

Ivan has worked in the management consulting field since 1992, both in internal consulting and independent consulting roles, with particular focus on organisational change management, organisational development, and the organisational and human impact of the implementation of new technology.  As the founder of ChangeWright, he has a very well-developed theoretical and practical understanding of change management and different change methodologies and has been personally engaged in more than 20 large-scale change initiatives during the course of his career.

10% discount for registration and payment 30days prior to course or for multiple delegates registering from the same company for the same course