Readiness
Assessment
Readiness Assessment
Change management assessments are commonly touted by consultants as a key step in the change management process. Are they necessary? What is the value of these assessments and when should they be used?
Neufgroup Readiness approach is designed on two critical assessments are needed at the onset of the change:
ASSESSMENT OF THE CHANGE
The first assessment is of the change itself. This assessment examines the scope, depth and overall size of the change. This assessment should address the following:
Scope of the change (workgroup, department, division, enterprise)
Number of employees impacted
Type of change (process, technology, organization, job roles, merger, strategy)
Amount of change from where we are today
This assessment of the change and a thoughtful review of the nature of the change are essential to plan your change strategy.
ASSESSMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION
The second evaluation is an assessment of the organization. Each organization has unique characteristics that make change management either easy or challenging. These organizational attributes are important to understand so that you can educate your team and sponsors about potential obstacles.
This assessment would cover areas such as:
Culture and value system
The culture and value system play a major role in how an organization reacts to change. By considering this factor, you can predict certain reactions in the group and plan accordingly to deal with those reactions.
Capacity for change (and how much change is already taking place)
Organizations have a limited capacity for change. If your organization is already experiencing a large degree of change, then implementing yet another change can be more difficult.
Leadership styles and power distribution
Leadership styles play an important role in change management planning. Because sponsorship and management support is a key success factor for change management, it is important that you take time to assess the leadership styles and power distribution in the organization.
Residual effects of past changes
Past changes may have left a residual effect that could work in your favor or make change management more challenging. Your organization's history is part of your starting point when managing change.
Middle management's predisposition toward the change
Predisposition of middle managers: In many organizations, there are middle managers who have a high degree of control over their peers and employees. They are either strong leaders or feared by others. These middle managers will play a significant role in the change process.
Employee readiness for change
Employee readiness for change is a gauge of how prepared and able employees are for change, and whether you can expect high or low employee resistance, and why.