Throughout 2021, the Avaap change management team presented webinars on topics from leading through change in the public sector to how analytics can improve change initiatives. As we prepare to say goodbye to 2021, we asked our change management presenters to share one more thing about improving the change management process.
Change Analytics: Your Plan for Success
Tashira Bommer and Josh Kuhlman
Our presentation covered how visual analytics can support change and transformation efforts. A key step to a successful visualization is data management. Data generated by change management is sometimes unstructured and messy, and pulling data from additional data sources can seem daunting for change team members.
One more thing to know is that to get started, first identify the key data sources. For example, the HRIS, learning management system, or project management systems are tools that can harvest meaningful insights for your change initiatives. Once these are identified, contact the data owners within your organization to better understand what data is available from the source systems. When talking with data owners, explore how you can leverage these systems to capture cleaner change management data upfront. Most of the time, change management assessment results are housed in free-standing documents, like Excel files. Explore the opportunity to add sections to your project management tools, where change practitioners can contribute this data. Doing this allows for cleaner, more structured data output in the first place, and makes it more usable when you go to leverage it for analytics.
Change management dashboards can drive more informed decision-making, help understand how different parts of your organization handle change, and justify change tactics by providing greater, unambiguous visibility to leaders.
Learn How to Integrate Analytics and Change Management
Moving to the Cloud? What Leaders Need to Know About the People Side of Change
Stacy Dunbar (presented at the Alliance Conference)
Many institutions, organizations and government agencies don’t look at their processes and the changes that may be necessary when implementing a new system. The beauty, and curse, of a cloud system is that it isn’t as customizable as systems used in the past. One of the keys to realizing the efficiencies of a cloud ERP system is to make sure to look at each step of the work and how the system will impact the workflow.
The downstream consequences of changing processes affect many people, some who may not even interact with the system directly. With that comes many change management implications. Training and communication must be targeted by role and the implicit understanding of what the change is at the micro level.
Change Considerations When moving to the Cloud
Getting Results in the Public Sector with Change Management
Michael Sponhour
It can be easy for the definition of a successful project to be reduced to whether it is delivered on time and on budget. While those are important priorities, managers and project leaders need to keep their focus on the ultimate business value the project is designed to realize. That value could be anything from serving more clients to reducing costs. To keep the big picture in focus, be sure to set clear, measurable business outcomes at the outset of project planning. Revisit your goals constantly throughout the initiative, even as day-to-day challenges naturally take up a good bit of the team’s attention.In summary, don’t let getting it done obscure the goal of making things better!
Watch Michael Speak with Government Leaders
Investing in the people and practices part of digital transformation is key to success. If you use data, consider the people side of change, and revisit goals, you’ll improve your ability to build change management capability for the long-term.