How change professionals lead and execute meaningful change

© Changefirst Limited, all rights reserved

How change professionals lead and execute meaningful change

David MillerChairman and Founder

© Changefirst Limited, all rights reserved 2012 changefirst.com 2

Marin County, California - 1989



Session Flow


The majority of our survey respondents saw themselves as successful change professionals

50% or less

75% or more62% said

>75% changes

successful

38% said

<50%

changes

successful


The predictors of professional change success are clear

Full-time change agent 61%

Formal training 63%

Change methodology 73%

> 5-years experience 70%


First conclusion

A professional will always beat the gifted amateur

Our first conclusion


The survey identified the top challenges for change professionals

Developing commitment

Gaining support of managers

Securing sufficient resources

Gaining support of executives

Managing resistance and anxiety

78%

68%

64%

53%

53%


There is a gap between the importance of a capability and the skill of the change professional to deliver it

Importance to role

Self-rating of skills

Average score 85%

Average score 65%

20%gap


Capabilities - Importance and skill needs

Influencing others

Role modelling

Building active sponsorship

96%

92%

88%

Top 3 most important

Coaching

Facilitating change

Building active sponsorship

53%

52%

50%

Top 3 lowest skills


The biggest challenge for change professionals is to create and sustain commitment to change

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

% R

espo

nden

ts

45%

Accepting the changebut not engaged

22%

Still resistingthe change

33%

Committed to the new way of working

How people behaved one to two years after implementation……


Engaging people is the key skill set for professional change agents

Our second conclusion


So – in summary….

1. Change professional ‘mastery’ dramatically improves the odds for project success

2. Using part-time untrained amateurs is not as successful as full-time trained professionals

3. Skills in engagement, building commitment and influencing others have the biggest impact on success

4. Even experienced change professionals need help with facilitation, coaching etc.


Marin County, California 2012


Will and Skill

Will and Skill

The Change Profession Map

Organizational Change Agent

Local Change Agent

Agent of Change

• Tactical

• Job

• Strategic

• Profession

• Transformational

• Vocation


Successful agents of change are….

1.Catalysts

2.Leaders

3.Teachers


Remember – you can have one of the most important jobs in the world today…..

Thank You


Further resources at www.changefirst.com

[email protected]

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How change professionals lead and execute meaningful change