Aglie, FRagile, Wagile, CHagile: whichever your preferred pun, the rise of rapid ways of working comes directly from an organisational need to respond to the pace of business. Traditional change management approaches, while thorough and proven, often struggle to 'sell themselves' in the context of an agile initiative. This is where iterative approaches to change can shine.
What is an Iterative Approach to Change Management?
An iterative approach to change management involves breaking down large-scale change initiatives into smaller, more manageable phases. Where the overall objective of change management is to implement solutions in such a way that yields the highest adoption, the process that change management is dealing with is the pace at which individuals can accept new changes.
The change process - being about how people are responding to change - is not the same as the solution development process. In iterative change, it's more essential than ever to tie the two processes together within the iteration or phase. This is how iterative approaches can support rapid change. Each phase involves planning, execution, and evaluation - which is repeated to some degree in each phase. By iteration during these micro-phases, organisations can respond to emerging needs, adapt to changing circumstances, and minimise risks while still keeping the big picture in mind.
Why Choose an Iterative Approach?
Increased Flexibility:Â Iterative approaches allow for adjustments as new information becomes available.
Reduced Risk:Â By breaking down change into smaller phases, some argue that potential risks are identified and mitigated faster.
Improved Quality:Â An iterative approach can increase the feedback cycle, and continuous feedback and evaluation can lead to higher-quality outcomes.
Faster Time to Market:Â Iterative approaches can accelerate the delivery of solutions.
Enhanced Employee Engagement:Â Iterations tend to be set up with heavy input from team members on the development side of the solution, and on the receiving side. By having team members working closely together, a sense of ownership and buy-in is encouraged.
How to Support Rapid Change Management with an Iterative Approach
There are courses, frameworks and approaches available to help you adjust to an iterative or agile style of change management.
Remember that the key is finding the connection between the people-change process and the solution-build process.
Keeping these two processes in sync will greatly assist in achieving outcomes without sacrificing people-focussed change management.
Set a Clear Vision:Â Establish a clear vision for the desired end state, but be flexible in how you get there.
Break Down the Change:Â Divide the change into smaller, manageable phases.
Prioritise:Â Focus on the most critical aspects of the change in the initial phases.
Involve Stakeholders:Â Engage stakeholders throughout the process to gather input and build support.
Pilot or Test:Â Implement the change on a smaller scale to test its effectiveness.
Iterate and Learn:Â Continuously evaluate the change and make adjustments as needed.
Celebrate Successes:Â Recognise and reward achievements to boost morale and motivation.
Embrace Failure as a Learning Opportunity:Â Use failures as opportunities to improve future iterations. The term 'fail fast' represents a business philosophy that encourages risk-taking, learning from mistakes, and adapting to change. By making mistakes quickly and moving through them, teams are more rapidly able to embrace the learnings and improve outcomes.
Embracing an iterative strategy for change management can empower organisations and enhance their adaptability and creativity. Agile approaches enable companies to proactively address challenges, seize opportunities, and stay ahead of the curve. When change management values continuous improvement and learning, change leaders position themselves for sustainable growth and success.
To discuss your change management needs, book in a free consultation.
Comments