This past Christmas, like every Christmas before, my family gathered to watch It’s A Wonderful Life, the holiday tale of George Bailey’s realization of the impact that his existence has had upon the people of a small town. My favorite part of the classic film is when George attends a school function and is jive-dancing with his date while the gymnasium floor slowly recedes beneath them unveiling a swimming pool below. Unlike the lead character, the dance party is keenly aware of the water silently threatening to swallow the couple. Encouraged by the eyes upon them, George Bailey and his partner Mary unknowingly bop dangerously closer to the floor’s edge, until finally they plunge into the pool. Unabashed, the pair continue their dance, drenched and fully clothed, inviting others to join them in the water.
        
The above story is a pleasant one, where lack of personal awareness leads to an event with minimal long-term consequence; but, what of those professional moments where being caught unawares has resulted in more permanent results like loss of a business contract, alienating a big-name client, or faltering rates of adoption on a new Customer Relationship Management tool? 

In my last blog, "5 Keys to Effective Change Management," I introduced the ADKAR (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement) change management model that Bluewolf employs with clients, and its five-stage approach. In this second installment, we will deep dive into the first stage, Awareness—why it is vital to any change project and how to make it happen effectively.

Awareness is arguably the most important stage of any change management methodology. According to Prosci, the number one reason for resistance to organizational change is lack of awareness of why the change is being made. Why is this? Without clearly articulated information, it becomes an individual challenge to align oneself with the direction of the company. In this step, internal communication is essential. More than just sending an email, posting an announcement to the company’s intranet, or having a staff meeting, it often involves frequent, detailed, timely and relevant communications that address what is changing, why change is being made, and the rewards and risks of not changing on an individual level.

At Bluewolf, when working with clients on major change projects, my team and I communicate the necessity of creating personal awareness of the business need for change in order to assuage employee resistance. In fact, we encourage our clients to engage their staff in the project from the outset, develop integrated awareness campaigns, and identify “change evangelists” to be on-going champions of change within the organization.

To best illustrate this, we employ a proprietary analysis tool, called the Change Management Scale, which aids clients in uncovering barriers to change within their unique organizations. When balancing between the case for awareness versus that of reticence, the scale is tipped in favor of the former each and every time. 

It is often said that organizations do not change, people change—one person at a time. Project management frequently overlooks the relevance of individual performance as it relates to meeting business objectives. According to ADKAR, creating awareness on the personal level is the first step in achieving successful organizational change. Without awareness, we all could end up fully clothed and soaking wet like George Bailey, which may not be as well received in a boardroom as it was on the dance floor. 

Check out the next installment of the series, 5 Keys to Effective Change Management: Desire. 

To learn more about Bluewolf change management consulting solutions, please contact us.