In today’s hyper-competitive, technology-fueled construction industry, change is the only constant. Increased tech adoption has brought with it increasing amounts of risk and complexity—and more organizations are depending on software not just as a tool to accelerate business, but to provide clarity and confidence in uncertain times. While it is tempting to see tech as both the problem and the solution, construction technology leaders seeking to initiate positive organizational change must start not with the technology, but with the people.
Digital adoption and transformation have risen from “nice-to-have” to “a matter of survival” for construction and engineering firms. Change and adaptability are essential elements in growth, innovation and long-term business success, but too much change too quickly can diminish team morale and limit the return on software investments. Laying the correct foundation through sustainable change management opens the door for digital transformation and tech innovation. Construction business leaders who want to harness the power of software in their organizations must recognize the importance of managing change and take steps to reduce the risk.
An organization can undergo a complete software transformation, with all the latest and greatest tech that money can buy, but without the right skills and personnel, the new company will never succeed. In this way, technology is not the only core component of a successful change management strategy. Just as firms of the future are heavily investing in their infrastructure and software, they should also be investing time, energy and resources into their workforce. From gathering buy-in from individuals at every stage of the change management process to putting in place the right leadership, people make up a crucial, often overlooked piece of the change management puzzle.
Change management’s evolution
Change management is the approach a firm takes to prepare, support and help individuals in an organization adapt to change. By employing change management and adoption strategies, firms will be able to navigate through the inevitable turmoil when change arrives. Once an organization has undergone proper change management, it opens the door for the next set of changes.
While the practice of change management is historically associated with large, often negative, initiatives such as a hostile merger or company downsizing, today’s change management takes on a different shape. The modern approach is more widely accepted as a human-centric framework for transitioning individuals, teams or organizations from their current state into a desired future state. It is about building fundamental employee engagement and having everyone aligned toward a common goal.
What success in change management looks like
Change management is inevitable and necessary for all kinds of businesses, but it is not easy to achieve. In fact, according to a 2015 study by McKinsey, 70% of change management programs fail to achieve their goals.
To succeed with change management in an organization, start with clear communication of vision and objectives. Everyone on the team must understand the desired end state and why it is important. Next, change managers must engage and develop project champions who will help promote the plan and spread support for the initiative to others. Finally, a deep understanding of the change pattern individuals must go through for an organization to realize desired outcomes is another important ingredient in change management success.
Success depends on people
Successful change management, like all protocols, is a complex process. One of the ways that institutions fail to enact successful change management is by not having a clear picture of what the future or expected outcome from a process looks like, as well as insufficient buy-in from the team, whether at the executive level or with end users. Having individuals at every level of a company aligned with the change management process is critical to creating a lasting infrastructure.
Unsuccessful firms also often underestimate the amount of work involved in a change management process and allocate insufficient resources to implement those changes. This is a continuous process, not a plug-and-go solution, and needs regular care and maintenance.
With people at the core of change management, having proper leadership is essential to keeping employees top of mind and having a people-driven process that values feedback and constructive criticism. A lack of leadership, ownership and focus can derail any project, especially one that counts on the buy-in of all employees involved in the change.
Managing people is one of the more difficult aspects of the workplace that often gets overlooked. Managers can make or break a working environment, and for leaders whose institutions are undergoing change management, properly prioritizing people management is key to a successful outcome.
At the root of successful change is the collaboration of each person involved in a company and taking the time to survey each individual’s needs during a change process is critical to making sure they’re positioned for success.
