Three Microsteps That Lead To Effective Change Management

Originally published on Forbes Technology Council.

You’ve likely heard the adage, "The journey of 1,000 miles starts with the first step.” This saying has stood the test of time because it resonates deeply with taking action toward achieving our goals.

Similarly, as noted in this article, the actions we take in achieving our goals are “less about giant leaps and more about small steps” and a microstep framework can help turn the outcome we envision into reality.

A microstep framework can be an effective tool during a digital transformation to help maintain the momentum of enterprise change-management processes, which is often a critical component of a complex project’s long-term impact. For example, when excellent change management techniques are applied, 65% of projects are completed on time, and 71% are more likely to be completed on budget, according to research by Prosci.

To achieve an effective digital transformation project within your organization, a strong foundation needs to be established. This includes:

• Understanding the reasons “why” your organization should embark on any business transformation and clearly outlining the outcomes you want to achieve.
• Developing a roadmap that clearly conveys your vision, outlining each phase of the transformation and how it benefits operations, employees and customers.
• Building a communications strategy that provides a regular cadence of outreach to leadership, stakeholders and employees across the organization.
• Creating an effective steering committee that can guide a digital transformation to ensure that each project phase is being completed within budget and on time while achieving key performance indicators (KPIs).

But even with a strong foundation in place, individuals responsible for driving enterprise change management face a unique set of challenges. They need to make the value case, secure budget allocation and gain buy-in across the business—from the board of directors to employees.

During a digital transformation, one of the key stakeholder groups likely involved is the board of directors, which wants to see a continued return on investment across each phase of a digital transformation project. Another essential group to consider is your company’s workforce. It’s important to understand that employees are expected to not only step outside of their comfort zone but to transform how they do their jobs. During this transformation journey, they will face many tough decisions, deal with challenges and have to work cohesively to find solutions along the way.

Applying the microstep framework to digital transformation is beneficial because it helps keep everyone involved engaged and committed to the change management processes required throughout the journey.

Here are three areas where a microstep framework can be applied to such an endeavor:

Developing A Communication Cadence

At the beginning phase of a digital transformation initiative, the implementation team will often send an email or provide communication in other forms to key stakeholders to share important information about the project’s kickoff.

To better facilitate change management, project updates should be communicated regularly. Your team may decide to use different communication methods depending on the stakeholders involved. This could look like a weekly email update to teams directly involved in the implementation process, a monthly email to the C-suite and board of directors and an update to all employees during town hall meetings.

Another microstep action is for a leading stakeholder to create short video messages that share important updates and milestones throughout the project, recognize accomplishments and provide details on the next steps to keep employees informed and engaged.

Emphasizing The Value Across The Organization

A critical component to ensuring effective change management during digital transformation is making sure to map out all potential internal and external stakeholders that are impacted by this initiative and communicating the initiative’s specific benefits to their team.

If a department or team is voicing concerns about how such a project will impact their job responsibilities, processes and available bandwidth, it’s important to show how their contributions to the transformation’s implementation will benefit their roles going forward. For example, an analyst team that spends time collecting data will be able to allocate more of their bandwidth to analyzing data and developing business insights once the digital transformation is completed.

A microstep action that can help emphasize the value gained from a transformation is to set up demos and information sessions with affected teams so that they can understand the direct positive benefits that this initiative will have on their career trajectory.

Creating Opportunities For Continuous Education

As a digital transformation progresses, creating continuous education options at each phase can help maintain effective change management.

While initial education may include vendor-led demos and information sessions, as your transformation progresses, you may want to consider identifying early adopters and super users who can help continue to educate team members on the platforms and digital tools that are essential to the successful transformation.

Over time, you may want to consider developing a reference library that makes recorded demos and tutorials available across the organization.

A microstep action can be creating internal forums or channels where stakeholders can share insights in real time.

Conclusion

Digital transformation is a journey that can span multiple years. But when it’s broken down into phases, and effective change management is applied using the microstep framework, you can build on what’s working well and apply that to achieve bigger results.