Change Management vs. Management Of Change: Test Your Knowledge

Change Management vs. Management Of Change: Test Your Knowledge

Are you really managing change, transforming your organization, or following a project management process? Project management skills are very effective in all instances.

Change Management As A Transformation Agent

change management and project management concept

​Throughout my career, I have been a part of several change management initiatives (or projects) whereby companies have made a conscious effort to implement specific strategic plans which had some impact on the organization.

In some instances, the changes were well defined, and the intent was clear; however, the problem was in the implementation and, most importantly, the sustainability of the change.

In other instances, the companies chose not to implement structural changes but chose to focus on improving existing processes in an effort to improve operational performance. The issues here were recognizing and again implementing the desired changes.

For example, one of the companies decided to implement a new work-from-home policy across their global locations. The initial idea was to apply the policy in a uniform manner across locations; however, this soon turned out to be inviable due to major differences in labor laws, the unionized segment of the workforce, and the availability of dependable, high-speed internet connections, just to name a few.

The change project turned out to be a massive endeavor with a significant degree of customization. It also took far much longer to implement, not only for cultural reasons but also for intergenerational reasons as the baby boomers and Gen X tended to prefer as much in‐person work as possible.

The change identified was a specific change to the HR policy yet, due to the nature of the change, it was actually a complete organizational transformation.

In today’s increasingly unstable world, change management has been elevated with many companies assigning specific change management or organizational transformation teams to tackle many issues such as:

  • Social inequality/inclusion
  • Climate change; geopolitical instability
  • Technologies (AI)
  • Intergenerational and intercultural factors, work‐life balance

Whatever the case may be, change is the new normal and successful companies must have a clear, forward‐looking strategy for long‐term survival.

Managing Change Initiatives As Projects

change management concept

When implementing change initiatives, there are many moving parts that need to be managed, considered, and accepted. This also entails a full understanding of the business context of the desired change, the people that will need to adopt the change, as well as the economic impact of the change.

If it sounds familiar, these elements align closely with scope, stakeholder management, and cost control which are three of the knowledge areas of the project management profession.

This is why I believe that change management initiatives be:

  • Considered as a project
  • Managed by a project team (dedicated when possible)
  • Supported by top stakeholders

In this way, the main areas that will affect the success of the implementation will be managed by a team that already uses these skills in their daily work: scope, risk, cost control, communications, quality, procurement, etc.

In today’s climate, I cannot stress enough the importance of managing THE most important corporate resource: the PEOPLE!

Successful implementations are mindful of:

  • Employee satisfaction/risk of turnover (brain drain)
  • Maintaining business continuity
  • Protecting corporate image
  • Sustainability of the change

Just because the project crossed the “Go Live” stage does not mean the change is fully implemented! Sometimes the training, acceptance, and desired productivity can take years to fully achieve across the organization so ensure a sustainability team remains “on call” for as long as it takes.

This is why it is super important to determine if the rollout will be top‐down or bottom‐up (communications and stakeholder management!).

Change initiatives can really be highly successful when you really manage all of these moving parts!

Management Of Change (MOC) Is Not Change Management

change management concept

Recently, I worked with a company that frequently used the term “managing a change” to apply to virtually any change that they encountered on a daily basis. I heard the term applied when an operational issue did not go according to plan, when an employee did not follow a specific safety procedure, and when the finance department moved a specific cost to a new account on the ledger.

While one could argue that having to process such situations would be a sort of management of change, the term itself is actually a project management concept that applies to variances between budgeted or baseline tasks versus modifications that are proposed either by internal departments external customers and third parties.

Lack of compliance with company procedures is not management of change; it is definitely something to be investigated and should be part of an employee’s performance evaluation.

So, what is management of change then?

In the energy sector, equipment suppliers manufacture products such as valves, pipes, fittings, or other industrial items that are subject to customer inspection. During the bid phase, the scope of the inspection activities will be set and agreed upon prior to contract signature. After contract signature, if the customer decides to change the inspection criteria by requiring more rigid specifications be followed, or even the ability to stop manufacturing activities in-process when this was not agreed, then this would constitute a management of change (MOC) event.

MOCs are every project manager’s nightmare or OPPORTUNITY!

Management of change is one of those tricky, disruptive subjects that requires:

  • A solid work breakdown structure (WBS) and detailed schedule
  • A level-headed strategy
  • Incorporation of the project risks
  • Alignment with sales and the key stakeholders

Some would say that it is its own knowledge area…

Whatever the case may be, following a robust MOC process will greatly increase the project’s chances of success, including a better bottom line.

Is This Change Management Or Management Of Change?

change management concept

When demystifying the change management vs. management of change conundrum, we can ask ourselves a number of questions to determine not only which one applies, but also how to manage each.

  1. What is the nature of the change? It is a process, an initiative, project‐related scope element?
  2. Why the change? Is it philosophical, economically driven, a regulatory requirement?
  3. When does the change need to be implemented?
  4. Who will be affected by the change?
  5. Where will the change be executed? Across departments, divisions, locations, etc.?
  6. How will the change be managed? Top‐down, bottom‐up, inside‐out, outside‐in?

Although many of these questions seem quite obvious, you would be surprised by the number of companies that do not actually ask these specific questions.

As a general rule, I have found that these questions and the ensuing actions are best covered by issuing a formal project charter whereby the main stakeholders apply their individual signatures as a show of commitment but also to demonstrate full understanding of the change project.

Upon approval of the project charter, key results and objectives (OKRs) or KPIs are formally issued and, once again, signed off by the same stakeholders that validated the project charter.

The project execution plan is then issued with the corresponding tasks to be completed with the agreed baseline dates established in the charter. Any deviation to these tasks would then generate a management of change or MOC event, in classic project management terms.

For short-term or small scope changes, these tools can be scaled or even reduced to checklists so that an agile mindset prevails, thus avoiding a heavy, bureaucratic process that will not be well received.

Project management and change management, therefore, are intrinsically linked but use different strategies and techniques to achieve their goals. Using project teams to manage both is a very effective way to increase the organization’s chances of success.

How Playing TETRIS® Teaches Lessons In Strategy

How Playing TETRIS® Teaches Lessons In Strategy

Nearly every day, I play TETRIS® “B-Type” to awaken my brain. The games are short, and my goal is to clear three consecutive games.

Playing helps me with focus in beginning my day. The more successful I am at reaching my three-game goal, the more focused I know I am. Days when that goal is a challenge, I recognize I may not be fully present.

The game teaches me to remember strategy. As an engineering executive/project manager, strategy plays into my work daily. I am continuously working on how to position my team for the next challenge, how to prevent problems, and moving assets into place. Sound familiar?

What Is B-Type TETRIS®?

B-type Tetris

TETRIS is a geometric puzzle where pieces of various shapes drop to form rows. Each shape is made of four blocks, randomly presented for placement. When a row of ten blocks completes, they clear from the game board. Clearing multiple rows is strongly encouraged, and when clearing four rows in one placement, you have earned a “TETRIS.”

B-type TETRIS begins with random blocks and pieces already in place. The blocks fall to clear the “mess” given by the system. Users may select speed of how fast the blocks fall and select the level of height of the predefined blocks.

Winning B-type TETRIS is achieved by clearing 25 rows before stacking the pieces filling the board. If a piece falls immediately colliding with another piece, the game is over. When you win, the game rewards the player with clever Russian-style graphics.

TETRIS® & Strategy?

Tetris electronic game, video game

Project management and engineering are similar. Required work has a series of constraints at the beginning of every project (random blocks placed on the board). Each project is within a predefined time schedule (speed of the game). Each unplanned act of people or assets creates challenges (random pieces generated by the game).

Your goal as a leader… clear your 25 rows before ending the game. In a perfect world, you will clear rows cleanly eliminating all preplaced blocks at the same time. The execution of your project clears the game board.

Taking One Row Making Small Progress Versus A Full TETRIS® Clearing Multiple Lines?

Tetris

My goal as a teenager was to clear four rows with a “TETRIS” every single time! You build these patterns and drop a straight piece clearing four rows simultaneously! The screen blinks beautifully signaling your victory!

With B-type, you have the reality of obstacles. You cannot always build the perfect four-row structure to clear everything at once. You need to work sometimes one row at a time.

Working one row is more time consuming. You carefully place blocks into structures to eliminate your 25 rows with individual placements.

Building for the TETRIS takes strategy. You sacrifice clearing a row to allow the height to accumulate. You place blocks hoping to drop the straight piece and clear the rows. Then reality hits…

The system randomly generates blocks. What if the straight piece does not come? What if you only get square pieces three times in a row? How do you win if the system will not provide the piece you need?

Enter strategy… you may need to sacrifice the TETRIS you are building and only clear one or two rows. Other times, you may risk continuing to build height of the structure making losing more probable.

As a leader of multiple projects, I typically take the quick victories and clear the obstacles as I can. Making small progress is often better than losing the game entirely. I work through the little pieces in hopes the bigger issues will resolve themselves during the process.

When responsible, you need to weigh your options carefully. Make sure any single points of failure (the straight piece) has a back-up plan. Going for gold is sometimes your only choice. Simply step back and be prepared to pivot when the game does not deliver.

Waiting For That Perfect Piece To Clear A Roadblock…

Tetris puzzle pieces

With the predefined blocks set at random, the game often shows the player the perfect shape to clear a problem. The shape teases you showing how easy it is to clear the jam and provide more room on the board. It taunts me.

In complex projects, leaders often rely on the perfect piece. Sadly, the random pieces do not always come through. I have had some luck in my career in finding the perfect piece to clear my rows. More often than not, I work with what the game has given me.

If the game does not provide the perfect piece, how do you respond? You need to sacrifice a long-term goal (building a TETRIS) with a short-term gain (clearing one row). Leaders must recognize this missing element, and the hard choice is taking one row versus four.

What Happens When You Cannot Clear Your Lines?

Tetris video game

I lose more than I win. Somedays, my mind is unfocused and I do not win a single game.

I always work to build the lines and clear them consistently. I risk building a taller structure versus the consistent wins. My stack gets too high, pieces collide, and I lose. GAME OVER.

Is it really? I can press start twice and begin again. New game, new random pieces. I can change the rules by slowing the speed or lowering the height. I can manipulate variables to help me win.

Me, I am stubborn… fastest speed and tallest height every time. And I lose. Why do I continue to play with these constraints?

Projects come in all levels of complexity and development cycles. Most projects are highly complex and have just enough time to complete. Then, you add the random elements you did not anticipate.

In projects, you will fail. Missing a deadline, failing a test, forgetting a requirement, and simply missing the mark. Depending on your response, you can recover. You can ask the customer to play again. You can adjust the parameters. You can accept 23 of the 25 lines as success.

You can learn from the game not everything is a zero-sum total. You can plan for everything to be right and still miss because the perfect piece never fell. You can build that structure and create a collision.

By learning these lessons, I make better decisions in subsequent games. I learn from the mistakes when I play again. I never truly lose.

How Is Any Of This Gameplay Relevant To Me?

Tetris puzzle

TETRIS® is the mechanism I chose for some entertainment. Some fun as you read my words. The game is not important.

Projects are never linear; they are geometric. Time rarely runs in your favor and is often behind when you begin. The roadblocks to success provide obstacles within your path. Random pieces will fall towards you during the project.

The lesson… learn from the mistakes and make better decisions within the game. Use the applied knowledge for the next play. Take risks when it makes sense, and choosing quick wins can reap rewards.

TETRIS® is an amazing game, and the game will be played many decades from now. I enjoy the three-minute challenges it presents me daily. I love how it reminds me of life lessons to apply in my work. I challenge you to look at something you enjoy and see lessons it teaches you. I encourage you to play TETRIS—it may help with your strategy to deal with life’s challenges.

Good luck, and clear those lines!






6 Reasons Why You Need To Have A Project Kickoff Meeting

6 Reasons Why You Need To Have A Project Kickoff Meeting

When projects are green-lighted, one of THE most important things to do is to hold a kickoff meeting.

Higher overall project success and, more importantly, improvements to the bottom line are among the many benefits of holding an effective kickoff meeting.

What Is A Kickoff Meeting And Why Is It Important?

Employees have a project kickoff meeting

A kickoff meeting is basically a meeting held between the buyer and seller to officially initiate the project once the contracts have been signed.

In this meeting, the key stakeholders on both sides are present, as well as other interested parties that have a stake in the project. The aim of the meeting is to cover the main contractual parts of the project and ensure understanding from both sides and alignment on how the project will be executed.

There is also an internal project kickoff meeting which is held after the external meeting and the aim of this meeting is to ensure that the company has understood the minutes issued as well as any impact on the strategies or procedures considered during the bid phase.

These meetings are extremely important as they will, in effect, summarize the activities to be performed during execution while providing important context to the project teams.

1. Meet The Key Stakeholders In Each Functional Area

Team members have a project kickoff meeting

There is nothing more powerful to increase engagement on a project than a face-to-face (or virtual!) meeting with the person with whom you will be interfacing on a project. Sometimes certain project positions do not have this opportunity due to travel constraints or other issues which are generally concentrated on the project manager or project coordinator’s shoulders.

When project expeditors, schedulers, and cost control, quality, and finance team members have the opportunity to bond with their counterparts in this way, many of the doubts regarding operational tasks which may not make the main screen can be aired out or even taken offline much easier once personal contact has been established.

It is also a great way to network and elevate the visibility of the entire project team.

2. Cover The Project Procedures To Be Followed During Execution

Project manager uses sticky notes to plan a project

There are many procedures to be followed on most projects and the kickoff meeting provides an avenue to read through the main highlights of each one while ensuring understanding and alignment.

Among some of the main procedures that need to be covered are:

A) Communication Interface – the stakeholders are listed in a matrix format which lists with whom and how they will interface on the project, as well as their roles and responsibilities.

B) Reporting – most project teams love to issue reports and this will set the guidelines regarding which reports will be required, along with the specific formats, frequencies, and distribution requirements.

C) Quality – this procedure will cover the quality requirements which will include the documentation, inspection procedures, and corresponding approvals required for each document.

D) Logistics – an often contentious, volatile, and misunderstood segment, the logistics portion of most international projects is very complex and requires very detailed alignment in order to avoid costly delays, additional charges, taxes, and other potentially political consequences.

E) Finance – processing of project billing can be a very tricky endeavor as supporting documentation and the customer payment processes are not always clear. This is an extremely important topic to align during the kickoff meeting as it will have a direct impact on cash flow as well as the bottom line.

F) Management of Change – this process is also important to address as it will establish an agreed-upon way to manage any changes on a project, both customer and supplier-driven changes.

3. Clarify Any Points In The Project Documentation Received From The Customer

Project manager presents during a project kickoff meeting

Projects can have so many documents and procedures to consider that it is really easy to get lost in the sea of paper that needs to be digested. As a good practice, I advocate that the documents be divided up amongst the team members, usually by functional area, so that the ones who will have to process each document will be intimately familiar with the requirements before the kickoff meeting.

There are some definite overlaps in documents so the teams need to be aware of this and highlight those portions which the other members will need to consider before execution begins. The project manager needs to read ALL of the documents so that he/she can properly delegate tasks as needed as well as identify any areas that may compromise the team’s ability to execute. This should ideally be brought up during the bid phase and prior to contract signature; however, this is not always possible and the PM needs to be on high alert so as to address these points during the kickoff meeting.

4. Establish Rules Of Engagement For Both Sides, Including The Third-Party Providers

Project manager talks during a project kickoff meeting

The absence of rules is chaos!

This could not be more true in the world of project management as customers, third parties, or even internal stakeholders can create mayhem on the project by not following a structured execution process.

During the kickoff meeting, these procedures, rules of conduct, and communication methods need to be clearly addressed so that the teams know the course of action in case of a conflict or contractual dispute. The project hierarchy, roles, and responsibilities of each stakeholder as well as scaled, governance-based decision-making are the keys to keeping the project on course.

5. Identify And Address Project Priorities As Well As The Main Risks

Project manager works on a project

When project documentation is analyzed, priorities have generally not been set and they can also evolve over time. For this reason, it is a good practice to ask if any priorities have been set by the time of the kickoff meeting and also include the expected impacts on the agreed-upon baseline schedule. If anything changes and work needs to be re-prioritized at any point, both sides must come to a mutual agreement so that the baseline schedule is revised.

The top risks identified at the bid phase should also be included as a topic of interest to be debated during the meeting as risks can and will evolve over time. Sharing risk registers is a very good way to improve the alignment of both parties while also actually improving the mitigation strategies. This, in turn, leads to the release of fewer contingency sums and a better bottom line!

6. Define And Streamline The Management Of Change (MOC) Process To Be Applied On The Project

Project manager documents information during a project kickoff meeting

Project teams (and most people for that matter!) HATE change.

Change is always disruptive and causes unwelcomed re-work for all those involved in the process.

If both parties take a reasonable approach to this process, then the Management of Change (MOC) process can be streamlined so that neither side change orders the other side to death. While changes will inevitably occur, the way in which they are processed and make their way into the contract is definitely something that both sides can and should negotiate during the kickoff meeting.

Some customers prefer that changes be grouped into a MOC register which is then revisited periodically, usually monthly, so that a determination of GO or NO GO can be made, along with the required changes to the contract pricing, delivery, and scope sections. I think this is the best strategy to reduce disruption while also minimizing the strain on the relationships with the stakeholders.

What Happens At The End Of The Kickoff Meeting?

Project kickoff meeting at work

Kickoff meetings can last several days or even weeks, depending on the number of stakeholders, sites, and time zones to consider.

Once the meeting(s) wrap up, the project manager needs to issue the Minutes of Meeting (MOM) to cover all of the points addressed during the meeting, while being sure to list ALL of the people who participated.

Despite everyone’s best efforts, not all of the issues will be addressed or fully resolved; as such, there should be a section to include the punch list, or all of these open items to be addressed and target dates for each one to be resolved, along with the responsible party(ies).

It is absolutely critical that ALL participants sign the minutes and initial every page so that a clear agreement is reached among the parties. This document will then become an integral part of the project contractual documents so it is very important to be as clear and thorough as possible when issuing this document.

The minutes is one of the main documents the project team will then refer to, along with the project execution plan (PEP), so streamlining its appearance will encourage the team to refer back to it!