As consultants, we enter organisations with a mission – we’re given a specific target with a defined set of outcomes: The (successful) implementation of a new ERP system, a switch in process, a culture refresh. Having something to aim for gives us something to measure against. And once we have this, we can get started on understanding what that measurement looks like. For change managers, the numbers, equations and metrics that show success aren’t really numbers; they’re people.
Minding the (stakeholder) gaps
This is why we start with a stakeholder analysis: To find the people that lie behind the numbers. But, especially as newcomers to a business, there’s a chance we’re missing things about our users. Fortunately, there are already experts in the mix: With every company having a different culture, the subject matter experts are the ones who create, maintain and enforce that culture – Human Resources.
As you’re building a strong stakeholder plan, simultaneously building a strong partnership with HR can be a vital part of the success of any change implementation.
Here’s how:
- Checking for blindspots: Because we’re driven to a reach a tangible outcome and (normally) have a tight timeline, we don’t always have the time to find the gaps in how we plan to approach the people that will be affected by the need to achieve this outcome. HR, already embedded into an organisation, will have this knowledge.
- Small details, big consequences: As change managers, we’re onboarded by leadership and work with the knowledge provided by different levels of management. But even the best leaders don’t have a handle on the smallest details. HR are tasked with knowing employees at an individual level and can provide valuable details about schedules, personalities and internal team dynamics – all of which can have big impacts on the success of your change.
- Hindsight is 20/20: We know that repeating (bad) history without being aware of how it played out can lead to an equally bad future, but we won’t have that context when we first start. HR, however, will have seen projects that fail and those that succeed and – more importantly – will know how the targeted users of those projects acted during the change and reacted after it. Armed with this knowledge, we’ll be able to predict future behaviour to fulfill the promise of success.
Ultimately, HR and change management have the same aim: Success through people. By reaching out to HR in an organisation right at the outset, you’ll have a powerful ally on your mission.
