Initiatingchange

Change is always there; improvement can only be there if people accept change.

Change is the only constant, indeed, even change itself changes, but more than two-thirds of organizational change management effort fails, what’s the change all about, why is change so hard, is change equal to improvement?

Not every change is an improvement, but every improvement is definitely a change. For change to be embraced by stakeholders, they ultimately need to understand why it is an improvement and what it will improve for them.

Change is always there; improvement can only be there if people accept change, and make the most out of it. So, therefore, it is useless to strive for change, the change will come by itself. Improvement is the reward for being willing to change. We become better individuals; therefore, our 'tribe' improves.

Improvement CANNOT happen without change, and change SHOULD NOT happen without improvement. The two go together. An organization can become or be made differently by the addition or alteration of something for the better. In other words,  change without good reason and adding value is futile and useless.

The difference between Change and Improvement is as obvious as the Wind. In both cases there will always exist some resistant by people, so overcoming resistance is one of the most challenging tasks for both cases:
When the wind of change blows...
Some build walls...
Some build windmills

Radical Change is more about structuring the root of the organization which includes objectives, values, and beliefs while process improvement works more on the surface of the company; so continuous improvement is more likely to be sustained if there is a framework which includes consideration of organizational values. It also provides an opportunity to move away from project-based thinking to a whole system based approaches.

Change requires a strategy. The strategy must include assessing stakeholders and determining methods of getting people on board. Identify key champions and allies. Improvement is a form of change; it's not about painting the building, changing the logo, letterhead, and typeface, it's about creating a better value proposition and successful operating system/culture that delights customers/clients and makes a step change difference in the way and quality that we do business and reward our stakeholders

Change is the alteration of a state of being (Status). The outcome of that dynamics could be positive or negative depending on the viewpoint or intent of the instigators, recipients or observers. Change management is a tool used to effectively accomplish organizational improvement. Helping people adapt to new things in their work environment can be extremely disruptive, and if the goals and values are not clear it will not succeed. Improvement is, therefore, a direct result of a change process.

Revolutionary vs. evolutionary management. Urgency is what mostly makes the difference. If a situation requires short-term and drastic intervention because there is no choice. Apply change management if it is about higher efficiency, better quality, customer satisfaction, go for an evolutionary approach based on continual improvement. Continual improvement is not equal to slow when properly managed. 

Change - It's a decision, you must think harder to take this decision; Improve - It's the process, you must work harder to improve.  Change with improvement in mind is a proactive approach that allows for planning and support considerations to be made and, therefore, is much more likely to turn into a smooth and successful collaborative transition. Change without wanting to improve is a reaction to outside forces and, therefore, full of limitations. It often reflects a disorganized environment and major irritations for everybody.

Improvement is a form of change, change can also be leapfrogged into business transformation. The magnitude of improvement and the impact it has on the organization, short term, long term, effectiveness, and profitability all depend on the vision and the competence of management leadership. There are four Phases of Improvement
1) Expect resistance.
2) Small Improvements take best
3) Constant ongoing small Improvements
4) Reward Improvements.

Therefore, change is not for its own sake, be proactive, with the improvement of the mind, create synergy in the multitude of its impact. 

Posted in: Business Process Management,Change Management,Connecting Dots,Decision Making