Change management remains a continuously evolving discipline that has gained greater focus over the past few years as businesses realise that without being able to successfully manage change, their competitive edge is soon at risk.
As the world of change management continues to gather momentum, there are 7 key trends which we predict will carry through in 2018:
#1 – Growing support for change management as a discipline
Change management has emerged as a key competency for many organisations as senior level stakeholders realise the impact it has on the adoption of new ideas and processes delivered by projects and business initiatives. It’s finally being seen as a non-negotiable for successful implementation rather than an add-on to improve people management.
#2 – Broader, company-wide change management application
Change management has become a day-to-day consideration across all departments of a business, rather than being “just a project thing. We’re seeing change management practices being applied for all levels of change, no matter how small or informal.
#3 – Increased recognition of the value to the business
Although many organisations have already acknowledged the role change management plays in successful delivery, even more recognition is expected to come its way as businesses start focusing on sustained change and change resilience.
#4 – Increased demand for change management professionals
Of course as support for and application of change management practices grows, companies will need more people to support it. Over the past few years, the number of change management related job openings has increased and will continue to do so in 2018. We also predict an increase in learning & certification options to support this increased demand.
#5 – A strong push towards developing internal change capabilities
Not all companies will be able to recruit new change management professionals and will therefore look at developing their internal change capabilities through on-the-job training and company sponsored education options. There will also be a need to define organisational change standards that are aligned to the company’s specific needs.
#6 – Integration with project management practices
Project managers have recognised the key role that change management plays in project success. The two disciplines are no longer working as silos, but are in fact becoming more integrated. We’ve seen how formal change management methodologies are being incorporated into the broader project plan and how change management professionals now play an integral role in the project team.
#7 – Rapid development of digital change tools
Expect more and more change assessment, simulation and planning tools to hit the market this year as organisations start searching for better ways to visualise & share change plans, identify change risks & hot spots, and create a holistic view of all change activities across the organisation.
As you can see, there are some exciting times ahead for the change management industry. If this is an area you feel you need some assistance with please Get in touch. We’re always happy to discuss your specific change requirements in order to identify areas where we think we can make the biggest impact.
