According to a number of studies on Change and Transformation (Mckinsey/Kotter/IBM), 75% of change management programmes initiated by businesses fail, leading to a substantial amount of wasted time, effort and money.
The research also highlights that most programmes fail due to lack of people engagement. Permanent employees often see the transformation as an ‘outside process’, i.e. a change being done to the organisation rather than an ‘inside process’, focusing on change from an individual perspective. Another factor is communication: for some employees, the first they learn about it is when a team of external consultants walks through the door.
There is also an air of mystery surrounding “how and what” is being implemented within the organisation. For many, the feeling of being excluded from this privileged group “in the know” leads to a cynical view of “here we go again” and a disposition to resist the change.
Whilst the research was carried out a few years ago, a recent survey carried out in Q4 2017 by Norman Broadbent Interim Management, revealed that little has changed.
With change ongoing, a key factor for success is the method of delivery and the engagement of permanent staff with those delivering the change. Numerous organisations use the same consultancy for strategy and methodologies, as well as delivery. This approach may seem logical and easy in many ways, but it somehow denies that strategy and delivery require different skill sets.