Change Management: What It Is and Its Role in Organizations

Tuesday
July
 
2021

Organizations are now fundamentally rethinking their products, supply chains, and—above all—their processes in favor of an increasingly rapid transition to digital. For this reason, in order to successfully implement digital transformation processes, organizations and businesses need to rely on change management professionals.  

In this context, change management comes into play, playing a decisive role. The change manager (or change maker) is the person who guides companies through processes of change and innovation—including technological innovation—with the goal of achieving a digital and innovative transition that engages everyone in the company.

In Italy, this role is all too often temporary and entrusted to external consultants, as the data from the Assochange Observatory’s annual survey also show: only 20% of companies have a professional dedicated to change management and digital innovation.  
Instead, innovation and change should be ongoing, constant, and fundamental processes within business strategies, especially in the era of the New Ways of Working. Only in this way is it possible to foster a genuine and effective culture of change and innovation.

A New Approach to Change Management

From today’s perspective, traditional change management—characterized by cumbersome processes and lengthy timelines—is no longer suited to the enormous disruptions weare experiencing: the world of work is undergoing constant and dynamic change, and people’s processes and mindsets must change along with it.

Being a change manager (maker) today means tackling the challenges of digital adoption, transformation, and change in an agile, fast, and (in many cases) virtual way. However, this does not mean neglecting a fundamental and essential aspect of change management itself: focusing on people and empowering them. Both of these approaches are effective only if they begin with behavioral change—which is unique to each individual—by building and sustaining new attitudes and habits over time (find out how to change habits by acquiring and creating new ones every day).

Behavioral Change as a Driver of Change

Therefore, without a change in behavior, it is not possible to bring about organizational change. In fact, several studies have shown that 50% of digital transformation initiatives fail because people remain stuck in their old habits and behaviors.  

Furthermore, the challenges that COVID-19 has presented us with are driving us toward a drastic redefinition of practices and, above all, behaviors.

Digital support for behavioral change—to best navigate this transformation in this new era and context—comes from hi | habit-inspiring platform a digital coach that, thanks to artificial intelligence, supports new ways of working by training people to build and maintain new habits. To achieve change fully and exponentially!