Evolving technology, rapid digital transformations and changing company cultures have increasingly heightened the need for change specialists. Change management requires specific skillsets to lead successful transformations within an organization. As change management is emerging in the form of a promising career, it is critical to self-assess before choosing this career path. Here are a few tips to help you make the right career move:
Essential characteristics to become a change practitioner
Soft skills like good communication and the ability to understand people’s perceptions are key. These skills help you go beyond learning the approach, processes, and methodologies. Having empathy toward people undergoing the change will enable you to tactically implement the change. Furthermore, good business acumen will help you understand various key metrics which will be impacted by the change. Read this blog to know the traits of a change management lead.
Challenges faced by change practitioners
Change practitioners often feel that they lead without influence. They are not heard; their opinion is not valued, or they are last on the priority list. These are some of the major emotions one can go through while handling a change initiative. Despite having sound knowledge of methodologies and approaches, lack of communication can n render change practitioners feel lost. Hence, having or developing good communication skills is instrumental to their career. Understanding the mindset of the leadership and people undergoing the change and communicating with them in their language will help you position your change initiative in a way where it appeals to them, it makes sense to them. Here are some strategies to tackle some challenges faced by change managers.
How important is practical experience?
Though it is possible for someone who recently graduated or made a career change to aspire to become a change practitioner, it would go a long way for them to first start by shadowing a specialist in change management. Being mentored or coached will put them on the right path. Education can help one gain theoretical knowledge, however, change management is not just a deliverable-based process. It involves understanding the people impacted by the change. It is a particular skill set that can be learned by closely observing a specialist and by gaining experience on the job.
The growing importance of change managers
There are experts like John P. Kotter that have brought change management to the forefront, addressing it from a business stance. Companies suffered huge monetary losses before they came to realize the importance of change managers having the expertise in handling change initiatives. Though change initiatives reached the completion stage they were rarely adopted or sustained. Change managers understand that change happens while normal day-to-day business operations go on. Organizations now understand that merely managing the deliverables of the change initiative is not enough. They need someone to manage the people undergoing the change, support them throughout the process, communicate what is going on to them, where this is going, how it’s going to affect them, how they’re going to be supported, how and to whom can they reach out if they have any concerns or expectations.
Change is a sign of growth and development for organizations to ensure not just survival but also innovation, in striving for or maintaining a stronghold in their industry. Therefore, it is necessary for change management aspirants to go beyond just the understanding of buzzwords like adoption, implementation, awareness, engagement, etc., and understand instead the core implications of how to achieve them, because, at the end of the day, change management is ALL about managing the people side of the change.
