Note to subscribers: This blog post is an Ultimate Guide. It's a much more in-depth blog than usual. This is a longer read! Grab a cup of coffee and a comfy seat for a few minutes as we look together at how to balance two very different components of managing change.
They say in Communications that content is king. Then there's Project Management with a process for everything and everything in its process.
Add to that the many business, transformation and development philosophies we encounter: Lean Business, Agile, Human Centred Design, Journey Mapping, Value Chain mapping, Operating Model, Capability Maturity modelling and so on... we're starting to get the sense that we'll need to carve a way forward.
It's difficult sometimes in the profession of Change Management to get a handle on whether it's all about the message or all about the method. In this, your Ultimate Guide to Content vs Process, we take a look at where we're currently at.
Before we get started, it might be worth acknowledging that we will all have had challenges balancing our approach to content and process. Some of these challenges may have been driven by stakeholders or customers not fully understanding the power of what Change Management can achieve. We're still in the stages of our profession where influential opinions are driving the conversation.
In this post we're going to have a look at what best practice is telling us.
What do we mean by Content vs Process in Change Management?
Content: The Substance of Change
Content in change management refers to the actual substance of what is changing within the organisation. This could be changes to product lines, services, org structure, systems, policies, and even workplace culture. Essentially, content is about the "what" of change – the tangible and intangible aspects that are being transformed.
Process: The Journey of Change
While content defines the substance of change, process outlines the journey taken to implement that change successfully. Process in change management is the structured and systematic approach used to transition from the current state to the desired future state. It involves the steps, methodologies, and tools employed to manage the change effectively.
Before there was Wordle there was a similar game where you change a four letter word to something completely different by changing one letter at a time. That can be like the overall change plan - a strategy to implement transformation by undertaking smaller changes that still make sense to the organisation as a whole.
But here's the kicker. Many a change manager or change leader has come to understand that there are (at least) two change management processes at play.
Introducing Process Number 1 and Process Number 2
The first is the overall change agenda, the project management plan or strategy, like our word game example. Let's call this change management process 1.
However, the second process is that by which individual people go through the change. When aggregated to a cohort, change management process 2 can get very easily out of sync with our first change management process.
Process number 2 needs to manage how individuals experience the substance of the changes.
Managing content involves clearly defining the objectives of the change, communicating the reasons behind it, and outlining the expected outcomes. Without a clear understanding of the content, change initiatives may lack direction, leading to confusion and resistance among employees.
A well-crafted change management process considers various content factors such as communication, employee engagement, training, workplace redesign and metrics to monitor progress. It establishes a roadmap to navigate the complexities of change, one individual at a time, aiming for a smooth transition.
Where does content come in?
If process number 1 manages the metamorphosis from current to future state, then layered within that we have the many processes of transition undertaken by the individuals involved with the change: process number 2. Our change content supplies the details of the conversations we need to have, the guides we need to write and the structures we need to be working on.
Remembering that the substance of the change could involve product lines, services, org structure, systems, policies, workplace culture: the tangible and intangible aspects that are being transformed. Reactions to change will obviously vary widely depending on the change content.
The relationship between an individual's change process and the organisational aggregation is dynamic and reciprocal. Successful organisational change requires an approach that supports the diverse and interconnected nature of individual change processes within the larger transformation context.
Leaders and change makers are well advised to recognise the significance of individual experiences in shaping collective success. Each transition in an organisational sense must necessarily be managed by a process, if it is to be "change managed" at all.
Why manage Process Number 2?
We want to manage well the process of how each individual experiences and reacts to their individual change - process number 2 - for many reasons, including:
it's respectful to help individuals understand the change, understand what will be expected of them, and to be ready for it.
it's the path to adoption. When people understand what's being asked of them, they've been trained in it and know when to start working differently, they'll be far more likely to do so.
it protects the investment we're making in Process Number 1. If each individual component of change is managed well, our overall transformation vision will remain achievable.
Without a robust process that has the ability to sync up with individual experiences, even the most well-conceived content can face roadblocks, leading to implementation challenges and potential failure. Our content plans - communications, training, org design, resistance management etc. need to part of a cohesive whole.
Why is this discussion so important?
The Interplay Between Content and Process
In successful change management, content and process are seemingly intertwined – an organisation must align its content with a carefully designed process to maximise the chances of success. The usual change considerations apply; and balance is very important.
1. Communication:Â Clearly communicating what is changing - outlining the reasons, benefits, and expected outcomes - goes hand in hand with establishing a transparent process for how the change will be implemented - gaining feedback, addressing concerns and providing a sense of security.
2. Employee Involvement is paramount in both defining the solution/s (content of the change) and contributing to the change process. This fosters a sense of ownership and ensures that the implemented changes are relevant to the workforce.
3. Flexibility and Adaptability remain in our toolkit. Change is dynamic, and content - in the form of specific solutions or designs - may need adjustments along the way. Building flexibility into the process will help accommodate unforeseen challenges. Continuously monitoring the effectiveness of the implemented changes as well as the change interventions helps to provide lag and lead indications that adjustments may be needed.
For more on indicators, take a look at: https://www.agenciachange.com/post/gut-feel-and-lag-indicators-when-change-isn-t-going-well
4. Training and Support:Â Develop a robust process for training employees on the new ways of working, new policy, processes and new systems. This ensures that individuals have the skills and knowledge necessary to adopt the changes successfully. Without thought to the process behind training, and aftercare or support, adoption is severely hampered and its very likely that chaos will ensue.
Where possible, monitor communication, engagement and training with metrics that show reach - how broadly across the organisation our interventions are being picked up - as well as saturation - how well we have each stakeholder group covered.
Yes - we must understand the business, we must accurately represent the solution, we must be prepared to answer the tough questions, and we must provide informed advocacy for our stakeholders. How, then, do we scale up for size and complexity?
Mastering Process is a Game Changer
Many years ago, I worked with a highly unionised organisation looking to implement a new payroll system. Some middle management believed the implementation was really about gathering time monitoring data that would eventually lead to the dissolution of various long-standing paid allowances.
The management representatives assigned to the project were diligent but resistant. They were hardworking, connected, accountable but they were sceptical about putting a position to the workforce that might not be quite as it seemed. This meant for difficult times, because we were not always able to get access to the right information or people.
Over a few weeks it became apparent that we weren't progressing. Because, truly, one never knew what level of decision-making might come after real data became available. They had a point, but they had made it and the project was to continue on.
Rather than continuing to debate the content of the change increasingly passionately (on my part) and resistantly (on theirs), I decided to make a process move. It was simple but oh-so-powerful.
I sent an email to the General Manager to whom the representatives reported praising their dedication, their advocacy and their professionalism. I thanked the General Manager for assigning them to the project, and I congratulated him on the calibre of his team. I did not copy the email to anyone else.
I never knew the path of the email after I clicked send, but after that email, doors were opened, cooperation was palpable and love was in the air.
This is what's known as a Process Move. Stepping back and taking content out of the equation can help us derive effective solutions to the stickiest of problems. In this case, our management SMEs were concerned about reputation, push-back, loss of face and asking staff to trust the new system. But we were never going to solve that, because it wasn't the business of the change effort to solve. By recognising their resistance as having come from a good place, and putting the SMEs back in touch with their General Manager, the conversation may not have changed, but it was shifted to where it needed to be.
Effective Negotiation Skills
In many negotiation courses, we're taught the difference between process and content. While some negotiators enter the discussion and haggle over the content, effective negotiators prepare relentlessly to manage the process of the negotiation.
This includes researching and understanding who is involved, their past negotiations, their style, what they want to have happen, what they're driven by and what the problem looks like to them.
Change Managers and Leaders who become skilled process observers, can ensure the content of the change becomes the topic we're discussing; while the process elements enable it to move successfully through the stages of beginning, middle and end.
Getting Good at Process
Step 1. Observation
If you're unsure about whether process is really this powerful, start becoming a process observer. In most observable human interaction you'll start to notice there is an unconscious ebb and flow. There are formal parts and informal parts, there are set dance moves and phrases, and there are curve balls. Observing how the process plays out, rather than being drawn into content, is a great first step to understanding how process can be powerful in change management.
Step 2. Patterns
After observing for a while, you'll start to notice patterns that repeat themselves. A very simple example is the common greeting, "Hi, how are you?" When addressed in this way, with a question - albeit rhetorical - we usually answer "well thanks, how are you?" or some variation. If you're in any doubt as to how bought-in to this process we all are, try mixing up the formula. It would be strange and uncomfortable to start with "I'm really well, how are you? And I want to say hello." A valid English sentence, but even a valid part of the process out of order is very noticeable.
There's nothing wrong with a choice to reorder the process, the point is in noticing we're doing it; making the decision consciously. Then we can leverage norms - the usual patterns - to guide the outcome. It's not how well or how sick we're feeling today that will have the most impact on this particular conversation. In other words, the content is exactly the same, but the process change will shake things up.
Step 3. Practice
Always remembering that content is important because its the topic of our change discussions, our training courses, our engagements, and our communications; start by experimenting with the same content in different process formats. This is something that great change managers and change leaders already do instinctively.
Consider the needs of the audience, and what's really driving them to accept or resist the change.
Change acceptance is facilitated by drawing the straightest line between two points, the challenge is in knowing what those two points are for your audience. This can vary, but one thing is probably true: if point A is Current State, point B is unlikely to be Future State. Either point A or point B will probably be an obscured, even hidden location determined by internal motivations or fears.
For more depth on hidden motivations, have a look at our online program, Beating the Beat Up.
Where are we at in change management?
It’s time to start applying what we've begun to master. In this Ultimate Guide to Process vs Content we learned that both content and process are core components of change management, and that while content is the substance of our negotiations, communications, engagement etc, it is process that moves us forward.
We can take steps to become better at observing process moves, and use these techniques to ensure our change content is able to get the right exposure. Mastering process is a game changer and its a skill that can be improved through observation and practice.
Effective change management requires a harmonious integration of content and process. By understanding their interplay, change leaders and professionals can navigate the complexities of change with greater resilience and achieve sustainable success.
The journey as important as the destination. Serious mishaps and misalignment can occur when we manage change without a process. We need to balance both content and process if the transformation is to be "change managed".
For more support on any of the concepts mentioned in our Ultimate Guide to Content vs Process, please have a look at Our Services.