What is a change process and what are its stages?

The change process has two intermediate, somewhat "invisible" phases and three formal change stages. The process starts with the preliminary phase of understanding the need for change. This is illustrated in Figure 7-5.

Figure 7-5: CHANGE STAGES AND PROJECT PROCESSES

After that, the change should follow these three stages:

1. Building the foundation for a change

2. Building the concept of change

3. Implementing the change

After the change implementation is over, the final activity of a change process is to bring the company back to normal operation with the results of change being realized and introduced to normal processes.

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With the change process, it is important to remember that:

Ignoring the first two stages, building the foundation and building the concept, leads to a change failure. This is the most common managerial mistake.

Only the third change stage, implementation, has to do with actual change in project execution and is usually regarded as a whole change project.

The first stage is normally carried out as invisible work that is not seen by personnel and sometimes is not even seen by the company's top management. It has to be carried out by the initiator of the change.

The second stage of change can be carried out within the scope of the normal functional operations of a company or as a separate project, group of projects, or program.

Finally, the last "invisible" process is the transition to normal operations. Although it is not considered as a formal stage of change, it is extremely critical in order for a change to be successful and very often involves major stress on behalf of the change implementation team.

Generally, all three stages for change along with two "invisible" processes are compliant with normal project process groups with the first stage corresponding to project initiation processes; the second stage to project planning processes; and the third stage to project execution processes. The last "invisible" change process is responsible for the organizational transformation into a new state. The results of the change are introduced into normal company operations. This corresponds with normal project evaluation and closeout processes.

Successful change is possible only with eight major factors of transition success being considered (John P. Kotter's eight key change success factors). According to Kotter, in order for change to be efficient, it is important:

1. To form an understanding of the necessity of change and its inevitability.

2. To form a team having enough skills and authority to lead a change.

3. To form a thorough vision of change and the strategy of activities needed for its successful implementation.

4. To pass this vision on to the people, to inform them of the overall strategy of activities, to delegate authority, and to lead by personal example.

5. To eliminate obstacles and support risky undertakings and creativity.

6. To provide small victories; to find and reward successes within a scope of overall strategy and vision of a change.

7. To secure achievements and support continuous movement.

8. To fix changes achieved into the culture and to relate the new behavior with success in people's perception.