Change Management Success | 7 Ways Small Businesses Get It
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- Change Management Success | 7 Ways Small Businesses Get It
There was one thing James wanted more than anything else, “change management success.”
It was not like he was some success-driven freak. He was just terrified of failure.
You see, he wanted to change his entire business model – the very thought of which had him wanting to hide in the space between the filing cabinets.
But he had good reason to be consumed by “change management success.”
He knew that big companies have change management teams, consultants, and multi-month rollout plans.
He didn’t have that. He had a small team, limited time, and a business that still needed to be managed while he made the change.
Small businesses are not scaled-down versions of big business. They are unique and different in many ways and as such, they require sound solutions which are appropriate for their circumstances.
Change management is no different.
But before we can even discuss the success of change management, let’s be clear about the nature of change management itself.
Definition of Change Management
Change management refers to the process of introducing and implementing changes within a business in a planned and controlled manner.
It involves a structured approach to shift individuals, teams and even the business from a current state, to a desired future state while minimising resistance and maximizing benefit.
It focuses on managing the people side of change to ensure successful outcomes by minimizing disruptions, engaging employees, and facilitating the change to new ways of working.
It is therefore safe to conclude that change management is NOT:
1. A one-time event – It’s a continuous process that requires ongoing effort and attention to ensure successful implementation and adoption of changes within your business.
2. A one-size-fits-all approach – It requires tailoring strategies and tactics to the specific context, culture, and nature of the change being implemented.
3. A quick fix – It requires time, effort, and commitment to effectively manage change and achieve desired outcomes.
Why change management fails in small businesses
Most change efforts in small businesses don’t fail because the change itself was a bad idea. They fail because of how it was rolled out. Here are a few common behaviours that show up again and again:
- Announcing change before they’re ready. The owner decides something needs to change, tells the team, and then try to figure out the details as they go. They assume buy-in but this uncertainty does nothing to help employees embrace the change, therefore resistance is high.
- Explaining the what but not the why. “We’re switching to a new invoicing system on the 1st of next month” tells people what’s happening. It doesn’t tell them why it matters, what problem it solves, or what’s in it for them. Without the “why”, a change feels like a burden imposed from above, rather than a fix for something that was frustrating everyone.
- Changing the process but not the habits around it. You can buy new software, but if the old spreadsheet is still sitting on the shared drive and nobody’s told to stop using it, half the team will quietly keep using it. Change often fails at the level of daily habit, not strategy.
- No training, or poor training attempts. This is related to #3 above. A ten-minute walkthrough is not training. When people don’t feel competent with something new, they revert to what they know. It looks like resistance when it’s really just discomfort.
- Stacking changes on top of each other. New POS system in January, new scheduling policy in February, restructured roles in March. Each one might be reasonable, if suitably spaced. But coming one on top the other, they create change fatigue, and the team stops taking any of it seriously.
- The roll out is badly managed. This is a common project management failure. If a task, whatever the size, does not have an owner, it does not get done. So it is with change management, especially in small businesses, where its easy to assume the change will just happen because everyone heard about it.
- Ignoring the impact of internal changes on customers. Internal changes will affect your external customers. A new booking process or reducing staff will affect your customers. Not considering the impact of these on your customers can lead to serious service problems and undermine the success of your change process.
7 Steps to change management success
But even as we clarify change management, as is discussed in the short video below, change is like a jungle with lots of unknown vegetation.
And like “Alice” you will feel like you need some sort of superpower to get you through the process.
So how do you implement any change in your business in such a way that you avoid the agony of getting it all wrong?
Here is a simple 7-Step process you can easily follow to get change management success in your small business.
1. Understand the impact of change on your employees
As managing change goes, you will sometimes choose to implement some changes as a way to grow your business.
In other cases, because you’re part of a wider business environment, you will be forced to make changes in response to issues in that external environment.
Whatever the reason for the change, here are some of the ways it will impact your people. They will be:
- resistant to change due to anticipated loss of many aspects of their existing circumstances
- forced to think, act and perform differently
- uncomfortable and unsure when you ask them to change
- unable to handle lots of change all at once
- concerned about the available resources (business and individual) to support the change
- fearful about loss of employment
- apprehensive about changes in job roles
- fearful that they won’t be able to learn the new skills the change might require
When you take these things into consideration very early in the process, you are actually laying a foundation for your own change management success.
2. Check YOUR readiness for change
It is common for owners and leaders to see themselves as managers of change.
And this is alright.
But in doing so, you also see yourselves as separate from the actual change.
Now, this becomes a problem you did not intend.
What you are really doing is unintentionally creating a lopsided approach which can undermine your efforts, right out of the box.
It makes sense then, that you acknowledge that you are equally a part of the change process, as your employees are.
Therefore, you need to examine your readiness for the change and your capacity to lead the change management process.
So here are some self-reflection questions to help you look at your own readiness for the change, and your capacity to lead it:
1. Am I mentally ready for the changes that must be made?
2. Do I have the required leadership knowledge to guide this change?
3. Do I fully understand the context in which I lead?
4. Do I have or can I locate the resources to allocate to this process?
5. Will I lead the process myself or will I hire a Change Management Expert?
6. Do I have the communication skills to sell the ideas to get the required buy-in?
7. How strong are my decision-making and problem-solving skills?
8. How good am I at accepting feedback and good ideas?
9. Have I truly considered the consequences of this change attempt failing?
10. What methods will I use to handle the likely conflict or fallout from the change?
Answering these questions honestly will go along way in preparing you to effectively roll out the change.
3. Share the reason for the change
Small business people are notorious for holding things “close to the chest”.
Here is an example of what I mean:
You come to me for help with some aspect of your business. No problem there. But right after the handshake, you ask me to sign a non-disclosure agreement. (Click and get a simple one!)
Really!? But you have not yet given me anything to disclose!
When you are about to engage in change management and want successful outcomes, be open with your team.
Being open does not mean that you share confidential information. However, it does mean that you share things like:
1. Why the change is necessary
2. The benefits of the change
3. The consequences of not changing
4. The likely pain that might result from the process and the outcomes
5. An initial roadmap for the change
6. A vision of the environment after the change
So please, let your people know why the change is necessary, how it will be rolled out, how it will impact them.
When you do, resistance will be at a minimum and the likelihood of good results will be higher.
4. Ensure your management team is on board
Even if that management team comprises 2 newly minted supervisors!
But why is this even an issue?
Because this is where any chance of successful change runs into trouble…when you don’t make sure you have management buy-in.
The problem is, many small business owners believe that the agreement of their managers is automatic. As a matter of fact, many of you often declare: “that’s what they are paid for!” Really?
I’m not sure that’s true. They might be paid for managing several areas of the change but not necessarily to agree with it or support it.
If you don’t have your management’s buy-in, this could be a real problem.
They are the ones who you will want to help you:
1. Communicate the vision
2. Instill a sense of urgency
3. Encourage the team to take risk
4. Keep morale high and resistance low
5. Lead by example and model potential new behaviour
6. Address any roadblocks
7. Manage the implementation plan
8. Recognize/reward the employees involved in the change
Just imagine the potential for confusion, resistance and eventual failure, if you don’t have the support and buy-in of your management team.
5. Implement a communication plan
When you are going through a change management program, the water cooler and the grapevine CANNOT be your chief communication tools.
You must aim for effective communication. This must be driven by a thorough understanding of your audience and delivered through the right tools and channels.
You know by now that proper communication reduces resistance, stress and feeling of hopelessness. You also know that people have to be exposed to ideas or concepts several times before they really get it.
Therefore, your communication plan must be developed at the same time as your implementation plan. It cannot be an afterthought.
In designing your plan, you have to consider:
- Information requirements – such as content; what will change and what will not.
- The recipients – management team; other team members; customer; suppliers and even family members.
- Plan design – media choices; tone; actual content of messages; timing; spokespersons.
- Implementation methodology – roll out; phasing; feedback mechanism; changes/updates methods.
Just trying to embrace all the possible combinations of the required communication approaches can leave you struggling for breath.
But think of the main benefits…
- Having the info about the change and how you’re managing the change readily available
- Lowering the resistance to your efforts
- Ensuring a shorter lull in non-productive time between phases
Trust me, it will be well worth it.
6. Support your people with training and coaching
One of the best things you can do to up the ante on you change management success, is to train and coach your people as part of the process.
There are some practical reasons why change-related training and coaching are necessary. Together they:
1. promote employee engagement in a very tangible way
2. increase the rate of change management success
3. prevent employee leaving during the change process
4. protect revenue and profits by providing stability as you change
5. prepare your employees not only for the change but also to be advocates of the change
6. facilitate the implementation of your communication plan
7. reduce the need for any crisis management skills
8. stabilize productivity if the training includes how to deal with distractions and roadblocks during the process
With regards to coaching, you should use it to create a support network.
This is where you encourage team members to go to discuss the change and any challenges they are having with the change.
This network should be led by a “coach” who will help employees to work through and solve these problems.
Another role for the coach is to encourage team members to set goals for how they will deal with the change, post training.
They should check-in with the team members periodically to ensure they remain on track towards their goals.
Establishing a mentorship programme or “Circle of Experience” is also a great asset in this regard.
7. Check to see if it’s working
Even to check if the change is succeeding, you don’t need elaborate metrics or systems. A few obvious and practical signals can work well for your small business.
Getting (honest) answers to the following questions can give you a good indication if your plan is working:
- Are people actually using the new process, or quietly reverting to the old way of doing things?
- Has productivity or output changed since the rollout — better, worse, or the same?
- Have complaints, pushback, and workarounds drop in the short term?
- What’s the general sentiment about the change when you ask the team directly?
- Are customers noticing and commenting favourably about the change?
- Are you reaching the original targets that triggered the change? E.g -improved service, reduced costs?
In addition, give the change a sensible period before judging it — most changes need at least a few weeks before you can tell if they’re sticking.
On the other hand, don’t wait so long that a change that isn’t working drags on and have unintended consequences.
Your next steps to change management success
So there you have it!
I have shared my thoughts with you on how to raise your chances of change management success.
To be honest, what I have shared is more than my thoughts.
They are the practical approaches I use, when I help small business persons make changes in their businesses.
You can use your judgement and how flexible you want to be to decide which you will implement first.
OR…
If you find it all too much and you want to outsource the entire process, that’s okay too.
In that case, just use the information to guide your choice of consultant.
Whatever you choose…here’s wishing you every success!
Lorna Barrow
Lorna Barrow excels at leading small business owners to get the breakthrough they are looking for in their businesses! She unleashes her 25+ years of small business experience and knowledge on your business, which was developed from working with small business across the Caribbean and beyond. This ensures you get the solutions that are right for you and your business...
