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What change activities should I include in my project plan?

Melanie FranklinCo-Chair, Change Management Institute UK

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Objectives

1. Project Management is changing – we are all Change Managers now!

2. Criteria for effective project plans is broadening.

3. Enhancing project plans with specific change management activities.

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We are all change managers now!

• Project lifecycle does not stop with creation:• Need to prove early in the project lifecycle that

deliverables lead to positive effects.• Need to incorporate activities that support the

realisation of benefits.• Increasing use of Agile project management triggers

multiple deliveries throughout project lifecycle.

• Project management must not be done to users:• We are in a partnership, and we must take account of

the impact of our work on business as usual.• We can utilise our skills in planning and scheduling to

help users prepare for and manage implementation.3

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How criteria is broadening

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Compelling nature of the benefits of the change

Amount of support to make change happen High

High

Low

Excellent communication of the benefits coupled

with high levels of support for the changes created by the project

deliverables.

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Criteria for effective project plansCurrent

• Metrics – on time, on budget

• Explanation – training in how the deliverables should be operated

• Resources – reliance on project team

• Usable – does it work?• Communication - how

much information are you providing?

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Future

• Metrics – involvement and support

• Explanation – shared understanding of how ways of working might be adapted

• Resources – importance of collaboration with users

• Desirable – do we want it?• Communication - how many

questions are you asking?

PLUS

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Change activities

Participation in the change:• Involvement in identifying the most relevant and

useful project deliverables• Involvement in designing, planning and implementing

changes to current ways of workingEnthusiasm for the change:• Belief in value of the proposed benefits• Excitement about the proposed future state

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Change activities = pulling levers

• Apply small levels of pressure to get disproportionately large results

• Levers require empathy to be effective

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Action

Reaction

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Exert an internal pressure to change Generate pride in being associated with the project:• Invitation only workshops• Early site of project deliverables in demonstrations• Linking new ways of working with promotion prospects• Creating a club house for active usersGenerate guilt about not being involved:• Pointing out negative impact on others of delays in

creating new procedures• Outlining the disadvantages customers experience from

current situation and delays to project delivery agilechangemanagement.co.uk © 2015

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Imposed by the process a person needs to follow• Add an extra step into a system process e.g. readiness

assessment to check that new procedures have been created before project able to go live

• Add an extra question e.g. question added to team meeting agenda to encourage information sharing about project progress

• Include completion criteria e.g. process not complete unless additional steps to involve customer are completed

• Mandate use of specific metrics e.g. benefits measures created to reflect anticipated additional business value from project deliverables

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Push generated by rewards, punishments and responsibilities• Reward schemes for users giving up time to get involved in

the project• Public thanks from senior leaders• Bonus schemes to share the additional value created by the

project• Explicit responsibility for the creation of new ways of

working given to specific staff

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Physical environment, access to infrastructure and office layout • Users working with the project team made to feel special so

given special area to work in• More mobile working so more chargers placed around the

office• More collaborative working so more ‘meet up’ spaces

created in the office• More visible progress so more white-boards put up around

the office

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Twitter: @AgileMelanie

Linkedin: Melanie Franklin

YouTube: AgileCM

melanie@agilechangemanagement.co.uk

07960 995262

www.agilechangemanagement.co.uk

Further resources

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