Debbie Adams
Change management should be implicit in every action, project or any activity that management takes, that is likely to alter a process, a way of doing things, a business direction, or anything that involves people.
When considering a new project (or anything that will make a change, regardless how small it is), one of the last things that managers think of is how it will impact people (customers, employees, contractors, vendors, etc). It should however, be the first thing they think about.
CM is one of those management activities that, like risk management, must be front-of-mind in relation to all the activities managers perform. This is particularly important for CIOs who are constantly introducing change. They need to be more aware than anyone else and practice this management task inherently in every project they undertake, regardless of how small it is.
One CIO who would rather call herself a Change Manager is Debbie Adams. Debbie is currently the IT Transition Manager at a not for profit medical college and has been a senior consultant at NAB, MLC, KPMG, SMS Technology and others.
Debbie has introduced numerous changes at many corporations in Australia and she is also a member of the CM Institute.
MT: What are some of the key aspects of CM to consider?
I believe that Communication is the key one. It helps to address a number of issues that arise from any change. The most important one is fear. The only way to address fear is to talk to people about the objectives of the change, why and how it will be introduced. Then, discuss how it will affect each person (employees, customers and any other stakeholder). Communication must include how the change will impact each person and their business and or personal circumstances and what has been put in place to address those situations.
Additionally, clear communication must exist as to how you will recover from things going wrong during the project implementation i.e. Plan B. Having and communicating the plan Bs is a good CM tool as it gives management, customers and staff a comfort zone that care has been taken and that eventualities are covered.
MT: Why is CM so important?
Change is now the way of the world. Continuous change is here to stay. The only certainties now are taxes, death and change! People who are not used to change won’t survive, so, for an organisation that wants to keep its people, its customers and its vendors, it must address change appropriately.
MT: What is the role of CIO in CM?
In many organisations the CIO needs to be the Change Manager and is expected to be so. In others, usually larger organisations, there are dedicated Change Managers. Although it should be an implicit management discipline and activity, increasingly Change Managers are emerging as specialised skills and they are highly sought after.
MT: Do you think there is sufficient management training in this area?
Definitely not. CM is only addressed after the event and many managers learn it the hard way. Too many have the “she’ll be right” attitude to change and others do not have the communication skills required to talk to everyone.
MT: Do IT projects need special CM considerations?
IT Infrastructure projects are the only one that are owned by IT and yes, they need to communicate clear expectations, timelines; impact to users, customers and other stake holders; training (to address the fear factor), survey users to ascertain the level of comfort or fear, use support staff to clearly show you care about helping users during the transition. For instance, I like to have our support (help desk) staff wearing fluoro red jackets during the key days of a large transition, so that users know well who they are and to call them at any time. Business projects are owned by the business and they should consider all the CM issues associated. CIOs should help if required as the chances are that they will be more experienced in it.
MT: How important is it to have a “name” for a project that includes large changes?
Not important at all. People are much more intelligent than that and the first comment is “here we go again”. It is just another management gimmick, overused, leading nowhere. There is no substitute for honest, frank and candid communication before, during and after the change.
Marco Tapia – PicNet’s Managing Director (www.PicNet.com.au) a former CIO with broad national and international experience; and an enthusiastic supporter of Australia’s IT innovation..
