5 Findings on Change Management

Prosci's Change Management learning center features a report titled 2005 Best Practices in Change Management. As summarized by Be Excellent, here are 5 important findings:

1. The #1 contributor to (business improvement) project success is active, strong and visible sponsorship throughout the project.
2. The top obstacles to successful change are employee resistance at all levels: front-line, middle managers, and senior managers and inadequate senior management sponsorship.
3. Employees want to hear messages about change from two people: the CEO and their immediate supervisor - the message they want to hear from each individual is very different.
4. When asked what they would do differently next time, most teams would dedicate resources to change management.
5. The top reason for employee resistance is a lack of awareness about the change.

I've talked to colleagues looking to get their buisness to embrace a new program, become a metrics organization, become a customer centric organization, or launch a sustaining word of mouth strategy. I'd suggest keeping these findings in mind, and referencing 12 Ideas to Sell Ideas before any change leadership adventure!