Effective Change Management Process: 9 Essential Steps

In any line of business, change is inevitable. If we fail to move with the times, if we do not continuously strive for improvement and growth, our businesses will stagnate - and they may even die.

But resistance to change is almost as inevitable as change, and teething troubles while people get used to new ways of doing things can wreak havoc. The change management process is the make-or-break challenge that will determine whether we implement change successfully or not.

Luckily, you won’t be the first entrepreneur to embark on a change process. It’s a topic that has been discussed and written about from the time when the first management thinkers began to put their thoughts on paper. The teams that succeed are those that combine structured frameworks with genuine buy-in from their people.

A pharmaceutical company learned this when transforming their vendor onboarding and cybersecurity review process. They needed to automate evaluation of third-party vendors handling sensitive data, with requirements spanning 13 workflow steps, multiple questionnaires, and coordination between Information Owners, Data Stewards, and the Cybersecurity Team. The change process required handling EU data protection compliance, GxP-validated system documentation, and consistent evaluation across all vendor engagements - impossible without proper change management frameworks.

Understanding the challenges you will face, preparing properly for the change and carrying the critical implementation phase through to a successful conclusion are your goals. To help you successfully go through the change management process, we explain some basic concepts about change management and take you through the essential steps for doing it right.

So, what is change management

When you and your management team identify a need for change, it may be tempting to tackle change willy-nilly. But for successful change, you need to manage the transition.

First, you must prepare your team for the change. Why is it necessary, and what will it involve?

Next, you must be ready to support employees through the change process. This could involve providing extra training or resources, but primarily, it will mean ensuring that the change does not affect productivity or morale unduly and that business processes continue to run smoothly.

Change management is difficult. Your employees have been doing things in a certain way, and that has always been the “right” way to do it. Now, you come along and tell them that they need to adopt new ways. Resistance to change is almost inevitable. People don’t like surprises.

Research from McKinsey & Company found that 70 percent of change initiatives never reach their stated goals. That does not mean that you should give up on the change before you ever begin the process, but it does mean that you need to manage the process very, very carefully in order to succeed.

Getting the full support of every manager and employee is a vital first step. Without that, your attempts at change will be doomed from the start.

A mid-sized university found this out when implementing changes to their parking placard request process. The workflow involved multiple parties - travelers, preparers, Principal Investigators, Fund Managers, and administrative staff - all with different needs and concerns. Manual back-and-forth communication, account setup requirements, and compliance tracking created friction. Success only came when every stakeholder group understood their role in the new process and had visibility into how requests moved through the system.

When you need to implement lasting process changes, having the right software foundation makes all the difference. Purpose-built tools help teams adopt new workflows faster and prevent regression to old habits.

3 change management models

Change is hard as-is. There’s no need to go in blind when you can follow the change management models that have been developed and proven by experts.

The ADKAR model

“ADKAR” is an acronym that represents a successful change management process in terms of the phases your employees will go through along the way: It stands for:

• Awareness of the need for change.
• Desire to implement change.
• Knowledge of what must be done to achieve successful change.
• Ability to implement the new way of working.
• Reinforcement of the new methods by continuing to implement them in the longer term.

For a successful change management process, you will have to lead your employees through each step.

Lewin’s change management model

According to Lewin, we can sum up change management by seeing it as a process consisting of three phases:

Unfreeze: A block of ice has a fixed shape. Just as you would melt ice if you wanted to form it into a new shape, so you need to “unfreeze” people’s mindsets out of the old way of doing things.

Again, it comes down to recognizing the need and being willing to try something new.

Change: Now that people are ready to change, you can begin with implementation. But there will be pressures and unforeseen difficulties.

Now is the time when your people need lots of support to help them get the change right.

Freeze: The hectic implementation phase is over. You have made any necessary adjustments to your plans, and you are ready to finalize the new “shape” of your business.

The “new” way of doing things is now the way they will always be done.

The Kubler-Ross five-stage model or change curve

This model differs from the others and deals primarily with the feelings of your employees as they go through a change process. Understanding this model will help you to be ready for their reactions as you embark on and finally complete your change process.

1. Denial: “No! We do not need to change!”
2. Anger: “After all these years, I hear I have to change! It makes me angry!”
3. Depression: “I see that change is inevitable. I am sad that everything will be different now and I feel insecure and a little frightened.”
4. Bargaining: “Can we not keep just this or that thing the same as it was before?”
5. Acceptance: “I will try this change, and I will do my best to make it work.”

9 critical steps in any change management process

Every change management process will be unique. The goals your business has, the environment in which you operate, and the culture you have created within your company are all among the things that make your change process one-of-a-kind.

But although the steps that contribute to the change, the technical details, and the people you work with will differ from those of any other company, the broad principles remain the same. These critical steps will give you a basic roadmap towards successful change.

All you need to do is fill in the details.

Begin with the objective

Before you set out on a journey, you will have a destination in mind. When preparing for change, you will know where you are now and where you want to be.

Make sure to define this as specifically as you can - you will need to have the rest of the company buy-in on your vision.

You should also be sure that the change you are hoping to implement is aligned with the company’s present mission and future vision. Of course, your company’s reason for being, and therefore its mission, can also evolve, so when you are contemplating radical change, you should revisit your vision and mission statements first.

Small changes may not have as much of an impact, but even they should be aligned with business objectives that ultimately serve as your strategic focus.

Sell the need for change to your management team

Although you might already have a good idea of what you want to change and why you want to change it, you need your team to want that change as much as you do. Getting them on board is not going to happen through a pep talk.

What you need is two-way communication.

Identify the perceived threat that you want to address or the opportunity that you want to explore and ask for input. Getting different perspectives on the need for change, and different suggestions on what it should consist of can be an eye-opener.

During these discussions, you will begin formulating a mutual conclusion, and because everyone has contributed to it, you already have considerable investment from your key employees.

Identify change champions

Not all the people who will help with the change process will be managers. Identify influential staff members at every organizational level.

These people must become your change champions, and once again, talking, listening, and asking for commitment are the best ways to get them on your side. Be honest about your need for their support, and make them part of your change management leadership team.

Create and communicate the vision

In the initial steps of the process, you formulated a vision of what you want to achieve. The bigger the changes you want to make, the more compelling this vision must be.

As we have seen, a significant change might even result in changes to the overall vision and mission of the company. But keeping it to yourself and a select team will not inspire the whole organization.

You also need to communicate the vision successfully.

The more people you can persuade to be passionate about your vision, the less opposition you will face. Remember that resistance to change is very much a part of human nature.

As far as possible, you need to overcome it. The more people who will wholeheartedly commit to change, the better.

Even those who are lukewarm about change will toe the line and give it a chance if managers and colleagues they respect believe in it.

When people express concerns, you should listen carefully. They may have a genuine point that you should take into consideration.

Be open, be honest, and keep the communication channels open. Change is a team effort.

Look for stumbling blocks and remove them

Preparing your people to adopt change is vital to a successful change management process, but you also need to look for stumbling blocks that could hinder the most committed of your change champions. These could include:

• A need for additional training or new skills
• An organizational structure that hinders implementation
• A need for new systems and tools to accommodate new methods
• A need to restructure job descriptions and update performance review criteria so that they serve your new set of goals.

Set achievable milestones

Change always serves a goal - and that goal can seem far away and even unreachable at the beginning of your change journey. Milestones not only help you to track progress to see whether the change is moving you towards those goals, but they also give you and your team something to celebrate along the way.

You don’t have to be responsible for achieving all of them yourself. After all, that’s why you have a team of change champions.

Communicate the goals, discuss them, and allocate accountability as well as the support that is available to each strategic objective’s champion.

Shoot for quick wins early on

Nothing is more motivating than success. But when we fail, especially if we do so early on in a change process, it is easy to become discouraged.

You also want to show those who remain opposed to change that your plan is working and that they should support it.

Initial targets should be easily achievable, giving you and your team reason to celebrate quite soon after implementation.

Keep tabs on implementation

Like other forms of management, we can consider change management as a process that consists of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling (or monitoring) that feeds back to planning. Reaching the implementation phase is already something to celebrate, but your journey is not yet over.

The first few months will require extra vigilance. Is change progressing as you anticipated?

Did unforeseen problems hinder the implementation of change? Are there any unexpected negative impacts?

You also need to keep the momentum up. It is easy to set goals for radical change and then wander off and carry on doing things as you did before.

Set regular meetings in which your change champions can freely discuss their progress and any obstacles they face. Track progress towards milestones and adjust and improve your plans as needed.

Incorporate the changes in organizational culture

When the change you embarked on becomes part of your organizational culture, you are nine-tenths of the way there - even if there is still much to achieve. But it is not time to rest on your laurels.

There is always room for improvement, and living up to the principle of continuous improvement will involve further changes along the way.

Some of them may be small and easy to implement, others will be more sweeping and will have a greater impact on the organization. Regardless of the scope of change, the basic principles apply.

Making your changes stick

Even if you managed to go through all 9 steps without any problems on the way, you will still be faced with the final challenge: making your changes stick.

Let us say, for example, you created a new process for your employees to follow that makes manufacturing significantly cheaper. Your employees are keen on following the new way at first, but at some point, they end up falling back into the old routine.

To ensure that your changes stick and the new processes are there for the long-haul, you would want to adopt workflow management software. Then, all you have to do is digitize your process and allow the system to enforce it for you.

Change management templates you can use right now

Example Procedure

Employee Onboarding

1HR - Set up payroll and send welcome email

2IT - Order equipment and set up workstation

3Office Manager - Prepare physical workspace

4IT - Create accounts and system access

5HR - Welcome meeting and company orientation

+3 more steps

View template

Want to give it a go? Schedule a free demonstration!

Related questions

What are the steps of change management?

Six steps for effective change management Effective change management has a six-phase process: prepare for change, make change happen, manage the transition, engage employees, create change and drive change.

You must first explain why a change is necessary and make a compelling argument - probably the hardest part of the whole process. Then, be up front with anyone related to the project about its value.

So the next step is to develop a detailed plan with training and support. On implementation offer support and resolve issues promptly.

Finally, collect feedback and tweak to make the change stick.

What are the 5 Cs of change management?

Then there are the 5 Cs of change which are Cause, Context, Capacity, Commitment and Communication.

Cause explains why change is needed. Context explains how the change fits into the larger story. Capacity means we have the appropriate resources and skills.

Commitment is about bringing everyone along. It is the communication that keeps everyone in the loop, and interested all the way along the line.

How do you measure the success of change management?

Change management success can be easily quantified - adoption rates, employee sentiment, productivity stats, and return on investment.

Instead, watch for signs that people are consistently applying new processes, assess whether performance is improving and solicit feedback on a recurring basis. Success also turns up with decreased resistance, fewer mistakes and greater employee satisfaction.

What makes change management fail?

Change management is typically unsuccessful when communication is bad, leaders do not support the change, people are not trained properly, or an organization tries to do too much at once.

Resistance builds when leaders do not communicate the “why” behind changes or if they do not engage with employees early on to address their concerns. And another mistake is not giving people enough time and resources to learn new ways of working.

What role does leadership play in change management?

Leaders need to visibly walk the change, role-model new behaviours, and offer sustained support from beginning to end. They must be seen, reachable and, hopefully, ready to attend to the concerns we have as swiftly as they can.

Good leaders also commemorate little successes, acknowledge the progress and assist in the removal of hurdles that might block the change effort.

How long should a change management process take?

The change management timeline depends upon the magnitude and complexity of the change. Tiny process shifts might take a few months, but major systemic changes could take a year or more.

It’s also paramount that people don’t rush; it takes time for people to learn, adjust and feel comfortable with new ways of working.

What tools are helpful in change management?

Current change management depends on an array of technologies such as workflow software, communication applications, training systems, and feedback systems.

Online channels track progress, automatically send reminders and collect real-time feedback. Project management tools enable the coordination of the different pieces, and analytics can both measure success and identify problems that require attention.

How do you maintain changes long-term?

If nothing is done to solidify them they won’t stay in place, meaning you have to monitor them, do regular check-ups, and keep on repeating the reinforcement.

Establish mechanisms to track adoption, give refresher training when needed and, celebrate the long-term success. New processes should also be documented clearly, and made easy to follow, so that they become the new normal.

What is the difference between change management and project management?

Project management is all about the tasks, timelines and deliverables, while change management deals with the people side of the change.

Project management makes sure things are done right, while change management makes sure people actually adopt and commit to the change. Both are essential to transformation, but they serve different purposes.