What are the mistakes not to be made in order to succeed in your change management?
Change management

What are the mistakes not to be made in order to succeed in your change management?

Agathe Placet
Content manager
April 11, 2023
4 min

Digital transformation is a strategic priority and all companies are concerned. 

  • 60% of CIOs considered digital transformation their top priority in 2022 (Harvey Nash and KPMG)
  • 40% of global leaders believe that their company will not be viable in 10 years if it does not transform itself ("CIO Survey 2022" PwC)

Today, to remain competitive, it is obvious that we must embrace digital transformation. This requires the ability to question and make decisions, to lead the change and see it through.

But this digital transformation is difficult, because change is not something natural. The company is governed by rules and processes, and the arrival of this upheaval can be like a gust of wind on a house of cards.

Whether it is the arrival of a software assignmentor a change in the organization in place, it is a challenge, it must be accompanied and invested to ensure its success.

In fact, 47% of companies consider change management as the biggest challenge in their digital transformation ("Accelerating Digital Transformation to Drive Growth: The Leadership Mandate" - Deloitte)

So what are the mistakes you should not make to ensure the adoption of any new process or tool in your company?

Underestimating resistance to change

It is important to realize that some of your employees will not be in favor of this change from the beginning of the project, and may even actively work against its implementation.

We find 3 types of profiles facing the change:

  • Ambassadors: you must rely on them to ensure the proper transmission of information and to accompany the rest of the workforce towards the acceptance and adoption of the change.
  • The passive ones: they will follow, but without investing themselves.
  • The detractors: they will be against the change and will make it known.

Detractors can be very powerful, especially if they are high enough in the hierarchy.

It is important toanticipate this resistance in order to respond to detractors' requests in the best possible way and as quickly as possible.

To counteract their resistance, listen to their concerns and frustrations to reassure them and explain the added value of the change.

Then, rely on your ambassadors to champion this transformation. 

Disregarding the company's values and culture

Every company is different, its culture and values are defined by its brand identity and employer brand. It is important to ensure that these elements are taken into account when implementing new processes in your organization.

For example, at Devoteam Revolve, their vision of the company and their values revolve around people, skills and employee development. 

When it came to equipping themselves with a new assignment tool, they chose Napta for a specific reason. Our way of managing planning is based on the skills and aspirations of our consultants, which is perfectly in line with Devoteam Revolve.

Not clearly defining the objectives and expected benefits  

Communicating about the objectives and benefits of the change at all levels of the company is fundamental to defining what the improvements will be.

If you don't clearly define these goals, you will have difficulty communicating them and your employees will have difficulty adopting change.

Don't forget to prove the value of the change to your collaborators. To do so, align yourself with the expected benefits and results and communicate as precisely as possible. 

All employees must understand how this change will positively impact them.

Underestimating the time and resources needed to make a change 

Whether it's a digital transformation project, a process change, or an organizational change, your digital transformation project should be treated the same way as a customer project. The software assignment software helps you to carry out this step in the best possible way.

This step requires: 

  • A dedicated team
  • A workload plan: who, how long?
  • A roadmap
  • A risk management plan 
  • KPIs to follow

Change does not happen overnight, and you have to accept that it may cause reluctance on the part of some employees and delay its deployment. The steps to be carried out until the adoption of this transformation require time, which must be anticipated

Employees and top management must free up their (often very valuable) time to deal with these issues properly. 

Things to remember

Change management is a process that requires time, communication and the ability to adapt at all levels of the company. It is a significant step for your performance and competitiveness

By following these tips, you'll be able to make your change as smooth as possible, and have it adopted by everyone. 

Would you like to find out more? We've got plenty of resources to help you go further.

To complement this topic, check out our checklist "Making your digital transformation project a success every time".

See also our guides, templates and white papers in the Resources tab.

See you soon at Napta!

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