Change readiness - the key to successful IT transformation
Imagine you’re planning a move. You’ve already chosen your new home and packed your boxes. But what if your family doesn’t want to move with you? Or if you can’t find the new apartment? It’s exactly the same with an IT transformation. The technology is often the easiest part. The biggest challenge lies in the change it triggers in people.
Why do so many IT projects fail?
The answer is simple: a lack of change readiness. Many companies underestimate how important it is to prepare their employees for change. The result is frustrated employees, delayed projects and higher costs.
Typical obstacles:
- Resistance: Employees fear for their job or their usual way of working. Example: An experienced accountant who has been working with Excel for decades sees the introduction of new ERP software as a threat to his expertise and refuses to use the new system.
- Lack of clarity: The goals of the transformation are not clearly communicated.
Example: Employees do not understand why a new CRM system is being introduced and how it will benefit them personally.
- Lack of preparation: There is a lack of training and support for employees. Example: A new project management tool is introduced without employees receiving sufficient training on
Change readiness - The invisible success factor
Change readiness means that your employees are willing and able to accept and support change. It is not just a question of attitude, but also of skills and corporate culture.
How can you encourage change readiness in your company?
1. Analysis of the current situation
Employee survey
Conduct anonymous surveys to capture your employees’ attitudes and concerns about change. For example, a 360-degree feedback survey can help to better understand the individual needs and expectations of employees.
Participation analysis
Identify all those involved and their interests (stakeholders). In addition to employees, include managers, the works council and the IT department in the analysis.
Skills analysis
Check which skills employees need for the new situation. A gap analysis can show which training courses and measures are required to make employees fit for the new tasks.
2. Define clear goals
Why change?
Formulate a clear and convincing reason for the transformation.
A negative example could be: “We are introducing a new ERP system in order to be modern and drive digitalization forward.” This goal is too general and there is no clear benefit for employees. The word “digitalization” is a buzzword with no concrete meaning.
A good example could be: “Our current system is outdated and can no longer cope with the growing demands of our company. With the new ERP system, we are creating the technological basis for future innovations. Thanks to the higher speed and modern interfaces, we can, for example, integrate artificial intelligence into our processes and thus reduce production time by 15%. This enables us to tap into new markets and secure our competitiveness in the long term.” These reasons have a concrete connection to the company and demonstrate concrete positive benefits for employees and the company.
Measurable Goals
Set concrete goals that make success measurable, such as “We want to reduce our order processing time by 20%.”
Transparent communication
Explain to employees why the change is important and how they will benefit from it. Regular information sessions can be organized to keep employees up to date.
3. Involve employees
Participation
Let employees contribute their ideas. For example, enable workshops in which employees can make suggestions for the design of the new processes.
Training
Provide your employees with targeted training. There are a variety of measures. Offer online training, workshops and coaching to maximize learning success.
Support
Offer support throughout the transformation. For example, appoint mentors to help employees with questions and problems.
4. Shape corporate culture
Promote change
Create an open and learning corporate culture. Introduce a culture of error in which mistakes are seen as a learning opportunity.
Flexibility
Encourage your employees to try out new approaches and react flexibly to change.
Celebrate successes
Reward successes to increase motivation
Conclusion: Change management is more than just a plan - It's a journey
Change management often sounds simple: “We’ll introduce a new system, communicate early and then everything will run better.” But the devil is in the detail. The HOW of change is crucial. Remember the move at the beginning: the new apartment may be perfect, but if the family doesn’t go along with it or the logistics of the move aren’t right, the whole project becomes a fiasco. It’s the same with IT transformations. A technically brilliant solution fails if people are not prepared to accept it.
Dangers of failure: what happens if change management is not done well?
- A lot of effort for nothing: Expensive IT projects come to nothing because employees don’t use them.
- Frustration and demotivation: Employees feel ignored and are frustrated, which leads to demotivation and resistance. >
- Manipulative surveys: Employee surveys that are not conducted professionally can even be manipulative and paint a false picture of reality.
- Reputational damage: A failed IT project can damage the company’s reputation both internally and externally.
The solution: Expertise and experience
Change management is a complex task that requires experience and expertise. It is not enough to simply have a plan. Successful implementation depends crucially on HOW. It is therefore advisable to involve experienced consultants with an understanding of the process and change management expertise. The combination of the external view of the consultants and the internal view of the employees is often the decisive factor for a successful transformation.
Would you like to find out more about how you can successfully implement change readiness in your company? Then get in touch with us! 😊