Content vs Process: Where are we at in Change Management?

In change management, we often talk about 'what's changing'—the new system, the organisational structure, the policy. But what if the 'how'—the process—is even more important? For over 30 years, I've seen countless change initiatives succeed or fail, and it almost always comes down to mastering the process.

It's a familiar balancing act. In communications, they say content is king. In project management, there's a process for everything. Add to that the many business philosophies we encounter—Agile, Lean, Human Centred Design—and it's easy to wonder: is it all about the message, or all about the method?

This blog post is your ultimate guide to finding that balance. Grab a cuppa and get comfy as we explore the dynamic relationship between content and process in change management.

Defining the Concepts

To start, let's get clear on what we mean by these two key components.

• Content: The Substance of Change Content is the "what" of change. It's the tangible and intangible substance being transformed: new product lines, services, organisational structures, systems, policies, and even workplace culture. Without a clear understanding of the content, a change initiative lacks direction, leading to confusion and resistance.

  
  

  

  The transition of one business model to another involves developing and managing content - such as components of the business model that will change - as well as managing the process of transition.

  In change management, we develop and manage content. This 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.

  
  

• Process: The Journey of Change Process is the "how." It's the structured and systematic approach used to transition from the current state to the desired future state. It outlines the steps, methodologies, and tools needed to manage the change effectively.

A great way to understand the process of change is to think of a word ladder game, where you change one four-letter word to another, one letter at a time. Each step must create a new, valid word. This is like the overall change plan—a strategy to implement transformation by undertaking smaller changes that still make sense to the organisation as a whole.

Play our Word Ladder game in The Change Arcade, illustrating how sometimes change happens one small step at a time.

This brings us to a crucial point: there are at least two change management processes at play.

• Organisational Process: The overall change agenda, like our word game example. This is the project management plan or strategy.

  
  

• Individual Process: The way individual people go through the change. When aggregated, this can easily get out of sync with the organisational process.

  
  

The Interplay Between Content and Process in Change Management

Managing content involves clearly defining objectives, communicating the reasons behind the change, and outlining expected outcomes. A well-crafted change management process considers these content factors by establishing a roadmap that includes communications, engagement, training, and metrics to monitor progress.

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. Leaders are well advised to recognise the significance of individual experiences in shaping collective success.

We want to manage the individual change process well for many reasons, including:

• Respect: It's respectful to help individuals understand the change and be ready for it.

• Adoption: When people understand what's being asked of them, they'll be far more likely to do so.

• Investment Protection: If each individual component of change is managed well, our overall transformation vision will remain achievable.

Without a robust process that can sync with individual experiences, even the most well-conceived content can face roadblocks, leading to implementation challenges and potential failure.

The Power of a Process Move

Many years ago, I worked with a highly unionised organisation implementing a new payroll system. Some middle managers were sceptical, believing it was a covert way to gather time-monitoring data that would lead to the dissolution of various long-standing allowances.

The management representatives assigned to the project were diligent and connected, but they were resistant. They were hardworking and accountable, but they were hesitant to put a position to the workforce that might not be quite as it seemed. This made for difficult times, because we weren't always able to get access to the right information or people.

We weren't progressing. After a few weeks of increasingly passionate debate (on my part) and resistance (on theirs), I decided to make a process move. It was simple but powerful.

I sent an email to the General Manager to whom the representatives reported. I praised their dedication, advocacy, and professionalism. I thanked the General Manager for assigning them to the project and 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, doors were opened, cooperation was palpable, and love was in the air.

This is a classic example of a process move. Stepping back and taking content out of the equation can help us derive effective solutions to the stickiest problems. In this case, the managers were concerned about their reputation, potential push-back, and asking staff to trust the new system. We weren't going to solve that by arguing about the content of the change. By recognising their resistance as coming from a good place and putting the managers back in touch with their General Manager, the conversation was shifted to where it needed to be.

Getting Good at Process

The key to becoming a successful change leader is to become a skilled process observer. You can improve this skill through conscious effort.

Step 1: Observation If you're unsure about the power of process, start by observing human interactions. In most interactions, you'll notice an unconscious ebb and flow. There are formal and informal parts, 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.

Step 2: Patterns After observing for a while, you'll start to notice repeating patterns. A very simple example is the common greeting, "Hi, how are you?" We usually answer "Well thanks, how are you?" or some variation. It would be strange and uncomfortable to mix up the formula. There's nothing wrong with a choice to reorder the process, but the point is in noticing we're doing it; making the decision consciously.

Step 3: Practice Always remembering that content is the topic of our change discussions, training courses, and communications, start by experimenting with the same content in different process formats. This is something that great change managers 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 knowing what those two points are for your audience. This can vary, but one thing is probably true: if point A is the Current State, point B is unlikely to be the Future State. Either point A or point B will probably be an obscured 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. We learned that both content and process are core components of change management. While content is the substance of our negotiations, communications, and engagement, 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 gets the right exposure. Mastering process is a game changer, and it's 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 is 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 this article, please have a look at Our Services or book an appointment to discuss your needs in detail.

Agencia Change Briefing Session

60

Book Now