Gina Temple: Why is Organizational Change Challenging?

Organizational Change Management, often abbreviated as OCM, is a systematic process and a collection of tools designed to handle the human aspect of change. It specifically addresses how employees might respond to a project, allowing for the implementation of strategies to mitigate resistance.

What exactly is organizational change management? What can it do for an organization?

According to Gina Temple, without a sound OCM plan, employees have been seen to grow resentful and even fearful. Without clear and consent communication in and around the change, Gina Temple says that employees may have unanswered questions such as: “Will new things be difficult to learn?” “How will it affect my job role?” and even “Why is it necessary?”

What makes organizational change difficult? What are its challenges? How can we overcome these challenges?

Developing a change management communication strategy is crucial. According to Gina Temple, relying solely on email blasts for updates is generally not the most effective approach. Instead, it is advisable to carefully consider how each user group should receive messages and then determine the appropriate messengers for those communications.

In most cases, employees want to hear business-level change updates from the executive-level leaders. When it comes to more personal change information, such as how the change will affect their job, employees want to get insights from their direct supervisor. Communication styles cannot exactly be tailored to each person. That said, employees can be grouped into categories.

Consider a plan that takes into account which teams are likely to respond well to conference room meetings and which ones may require one-on-one conversations. Are there specific details that should be emphasized more than others, especially when providing updates to particular groups?

It might take a little more time to go this route. However, it helps ensure that messages are absorbed the way they should be.

Remember, communication goes both ways.

Many executives understand the need for change. They can also see the business benefits of adopting brand-new processes and enterprise software. However, they are not always as clear on the specific role they should play in implementing the change. At the same time, they may underestimate the time, money, and other resources required to implement the change. As a result, Gina Temple mentions that wires get crossed, and expectations are unmet. Communication becomes inconsistent because visibility and transparency slip away.

Also, remember that during this time, employees are watching. If leaders at the organization are not championing the change, the common question of employees becomes, “Why should we?”

Users require ongoing support when adapting to a new system, and this support should be initiated from the top. Gina Temple emphasizes that active sponsorship can boost team morale, but conversely, If employees do not feel supported, it may lead to low user adoption as well as missed objectives. From the outset, project sponsors and stakeholders should grasp and endorse the change. Executives, in particular, should be among the most visible advocates actively championing the change.

Gina Temple has served in the healthcare community for over 30 years with experiences ranging from for-profit to not-for-profit organizations, unionized to non-unionized facilities and acute care settings to outpatient centers. Read similar articles on healthcare and leadership from Gina Temple by clicking here.