Managers need continuously to keep asking probing questions, be receptive to input and to take action on the results. Targeted performance measures and controls are vital to provide the necessary monitoring and information. In a previous article published in Training Journal last year1, we looked at the competencies and attributes needed to lead change. In this article we alert line managers and training professionals to the type of problems they might encounter during implementation and outlined the steps they need to take to ensure the success of their change programme. We will concentrate on the operational and human aspects of managing change, although it is imperative that there is clear strategy in any change initiative.

The announcement of a bold new strategy is often accompanied by little follow-through to ensure that it is properly executed. For example, a company might pay close attention to the initial targets of a new change, and then fail to apply the same rigour in the periods that follow, when problems may arise and corrections are required. Ignoring the whole performance picture makes it much harder to recognise and correct the fundamental problems that inhibit delivery. 

It’s tough and getting tougher There is certainly plenty of need to respond successfully to change. At the IOD Conference in May this year, Arun Sarin, Chief Executive of Vodafone identified the following factors that are driving change:

• Increasingly fierce competition
• Technology advancing, requiring high investment
• Growing customer demands
• The growth of China in the world economic landscape
• Shifting market dynamics
• Tough operating conditions that mean it is harder to make money

This climate gives little room for mistakes. Strong performance in the past may make it even harder to apply new methods of execution, as managers believe that the methods that have worked for them before will continue to work in future.

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