Thanks for your kind words John! I appreciate it.

Edmond, thank you for the explanations and I look forward to the next posting. I ask the questions because identifying weaknesses, such as the ability to properly execute changes, in management capabilities is rarely talked about or actioned. This would make it difficult to broach investing in a consulting firm to even begin a process.
I’m sure your blog will address all of my questions in due time.
thank you

Bonjour Marc. I hope all is well in Western Canada.

You are asking very good questions. Let me give it a crack. Please do let me know whether I’m answering them to your satisfaction. Otherwise, I’ll go deeper.

== RE: what is the catalyst to proceed with this?

Companies use different catalysts to embark on a journey to build their CM capabilities. Here are the main ones we’ve seen:

1- It can be “change roadblocks”, as you said in your post – e.g. a series of change initiatives that don’t go well or constant struggle with strategy execution. This prompts senior management to do something about the company’s CM capabilities.

2- Conversely, it can be a good experience. For example, we have a client who was faced with a challenging technology rollout; to support the initiative, they decided to put more focus on change management and so they did things differently for that project. Although the rollout wasn’t particularly smooth (they were still “lagging behind” then!), it was actually better than their prior experiences. As a result, the executive team started thinking: “We would have an easier time executing strategy if we were consistently better at managing change, across the board”. That’s when they reached out to us for help.

3- As you pointed out, management training can also act as a catalyst. For example, by immersing the executive team in a change simulation (such as our STEP UP!™ game, which I believe you participated in), we can help these executives better appreciate what “effective change management” really is. As a result, they can see how much better the CM capabilities of their company could be.

4- Also, a picture – or a number – is worth a thousand words. When we measure the CM-Score™ of an organization (through our CHECK UP!™ CM survey) and plot that metric on the S-Curve of our model, it’s easy for the executive team to see: where the organization is at; how large the gap with the model’s reference curve is; how much better the company could be at managing change; etc. This is particularly true for organizations in Stage 1 | LAG BEHIND, but also for those in the higher stages of the model. The CM-Score™ is a powerful catalyst – to get going and to keep going.

5- Finally, the descriptions of the various phases of our model can also be used as a catalyst. Please check the next blog post of the series, which will describe in details Stage 1 | LAG BEHIND. I should be in a position to post it next week…

Usually, it’s a combination of some of these catalysts that gets an organization to embark on a CM capability building journey.

== RE: How do I know if my company needs the model?

As I said above (point 4), the model is useful at any stage.

For example, clients often use it as part of their ongoing competency/performance management process. In these organizations, “change management” is a core competency – particularly for leaders. Once a year or every 18 months, we run our CHECK UP!™ survey and calculate the CM-Score™ of the organization overall, and of its various functions/departments. This data provides tangible input to all leaders; it triggers healthy discussions about how good they are at leading change; how they can keep raising the bar; etc. In essence, these organizations use the CM-Score™ as a KPI.

I hope this helps?

Edmond.

Bonjour and thank you for initiating this blog. It will certainly give great insight into the processes that you and your team take customers through. My first question is “what is the catalyst to proceed with this”? How do I know if my company needs the model? Must it begin with a change roadblock or could it be a part of management training and growth on its own.
thank you