Planning is another component of EOC. As with most things, corporate change relies on careful planning and would fail in its absence. Not having a plan for change is like not having scheduled rehearsals for a new stage production. No one will show up, the lines won’t be learned, and the play will fail. The same thing will happen if a change initiative is undertaken without bothering with the necessary planning.
Sticking with the metaphor, how will things turn out if the actors aren’t told what roles they have? What if they did not know which rehearsals they needed to attend? It would end in misery. For a corporate change, this is the same thing as not informing people when meetings are being held? Or, announcing meetings but refusing to answer the question of who needs to be there. Would anyone show up? Would they do the things they were supposed to do? Would anything happen on schedule? Of course those things would not happen.
No matter the degree of secrecy regarding the initiative, corporate change still demands disclosure to the relevant employees. The veil of secrecy has to lift at some point. There is a point at which everyone needs to be let in on the details. To do a job, employees need to know the job is there to be done. This requires the handling of certain activities with planning. To be completed satisfactorily, there are four major components to be dealt with in planning.
A master implementation schedule has to be developed. Just as important, this schedule has to be communicated to managers and workers alike. There is no substitute for an employee that knows what is happening. When implementation assignments are being distributed, face-to-face meetings are the best. It can mean going door to door, but small meetings can fulfill the same purpose. The purpose is make sure everyone is clear on just what their roles and goals are going to be. Hold regular meetings. These meetings can be used to fine tune and adjust the schedules for goals. Finally, when there is success, celebrate it. Acknowledging the little wins during times of corporate change can be a way to renew purpose and belonging.
Planning is a core piece of a satisfactory corporate change. Planning is like scheduling for a stage production. It keeps the focus on the goals that need to be achieved and when they need to be achieved. This is promoted by way of master implementation schedules, giving out implementation assignments face-to-face, and scheduling frequent meetings to go over any progress or problems with a project. When goals are met, make it a reason to celebrate. Using effective planning can keep your corporate change on time and on target.
For more information, please see our website: Corporate Change
