- Steve Davidson
Change management – fresh eyes and getting it right
Changes easily occur every day in the construction and mining sectors and, industry wide, they seem to be managed begrudgingly, with mixed results. On a recent project, we helped a client change the way they conducted pre-shift meetings while, on another, we worked with a team to guide them through completely changing how they reported their daily activities. These, and numerous other initiatives we’ve supported, have underscored what matters most in managing change.
When change management goes pear-shaped
I don’t know why people dislike change (I’m sure there’s a psychologist’s answer to that), but I do know that when change is managed well, the proportion of detractors is much lower. In fact, our team has personally been involved in many process changes – such as implementing new hot seat facilities, modifying shift times, introducing new plant or adopting new measuring tools – that have even improved margins and morale.
While there are myriad reasons for change processes to go wrong, there are three reasons I’ve seen time and again. First, all too often, the formalised side is either completed in a cursory manner or not done at all. This sets change up for failure. It’s typically seen as a time-consuming task that needs to tick a box. As a result, the effort is low. Second, once the idea is set, implementation is left to people who often lack the time or experience required to carry it through effectively. Third, it’s common for the people who are affected the most to not be consulted during the planning phase in the belief they either don’t care or the change will be less disruptive than it ultimately is. Some changes fail simply because the end result has not been clearly articulated to the wider team.
Effective change management
My top tips for effective change management are:
Know what good looks like – ie How will your team know when the change has been correctly implemented? What metrics will be used to judge the outcome?
Invest the time early on to get all stakeholders together to discuss the program. Don’t shy away from involving the people you think will be the most resistant. Excluding them from the process just multiplies the risk they will make it fail.
If you’re leading a change program, don’t jump to conclusions. If you spend time understanding current processes and consulting with the coalface it will pay dividends.
Document decisions, especially for complex changes, because no one wants to hear ‘I don’t know why we did that’ six months down the track!
Understand that change is difficult and it’s unlikely it will be 100% perfect on roll out. Stay positive and keep moving up the learning curve.
At CEA, we’ve been brought in to help manage change over and again for clients. Having independent people like our team to manage major change has massive benefits because it:
Allows people to work on their day-to-day duties while CEA completes the heavy lifting
Ensures the change is viewed without any preconceived ideas or prejudices
Permits us to look from a wider vantage point, ensuring all relevant stakeholders are taken on the journey
Provides a focal point for senior managers to work with, making better use of their time
Ensures the process is documented appropriately so that lessons can be learnt and/or future work delivered with improved efficiency.
CEA is experienced in using many in-house change management systems alongside our own. If you’re thinking of making a major change in the delivery of your civil works or mining tasks, please contact us. We’d be happy to discuss how we can help make it as safe and profitable as possible. Our team is highly mobile and very familiar with remote area works in Australia and around the world.
