Change Intervention Risks

Eye-level view of a serene garden space with benches for reflection

As a human resources and learning development professional, I’ve witnessed some courageous change interventions over the years. Some successful, and others ending in rejection, in the form of high staff turnover.

So why is this the case?

Well after 14 years in the field, I can safely narrow it down to; lack of collaboration, detailed analysis, and buy-in.

Let’s unpack.

Rushed consultation process

A trait often portrayed by senior management, the “get it done now’’ mindset. The risk with this approach is that collaborative engagement is overlooked in the process.

Let’s use a scenario, with a payroll systems change.

Collaboration happens at senior level to save time. Sounds efficient right? but consider, what first-hand experience senior management has with payroll. Do they handle accessibility constraints, customer complaints, downtime due to delays or data integrity. Probably not. So why not include end users in the consultation process.

Solution; invite varied levels of employees from line management, IT, payroll and finance to share input and lived experiences, before settling on a new system. Be sure to include feedback sessions throughout the process.

Strategy over practicality

Translating strategy into practical implementation, is yet another factor that impacts the outcome of change interventions. Recent technological gains mean it’s easier to use AI to generate a plan, instead of conducting an in-depth evaluation process, considering; organizational readiness, culture, leadership capability and socio-economic factors.

Solution; invite different levels of management and employees to present their implementation solutions. Use collaborative techniques, like 1-2-4-All, instead of traditional presentation style sessions. Review collated data, with a ‘’Growth Mindset’’. Use this information to develop a ‘’practical’’ implementation plan, identifying change owners at each level in the organization.

And, finally,

I didn’t ask for this

Probably the number one reason change initiatives fail; Resistance!

Think of it this way, if the people you are trying to convince aren’t convinced. How likely are they to accept the change? The short answer, Unlikely!

Solution; include them in the journey and communicate effectively.

Let’s paint a picture. Your partner has booked a holiday for the both of you. But, never mentioned the plans with you, neither asked your opinion on the destination, food, drink, activities, cost or people invited. They expect you to go along with the plan and be happy about it. I hear some of you saying, that sounds amazing, saves me all the effort and it’s so thoughtful, understood! Keep in mind, this is a person, you know and trust, and is part of your intimate circle. That would be okay.

Now imagine this was an acquaintance; would you still have the same feeling? Probably not.

That’s what organizational leaders fail to consider. Employees aren’t intimate partners; they have no loyalty to the organization beyond earning an income. Which could also be fulfilled by a different organization.

In closing, consider the reasons for the change before beginning. Include the people that will most likely be affected by the change and ask their feedback throughout the implementation process.