Optimal Change

Consultancy Change audit | Change design | FAQs


What is optimal change?

Optimal change is change that happens as smoothly as it can, which means having several more ducks lined up than the well-known ADKAR® model highlights. You will have started with an optimal goal that does half of the change work for you. You will have also created the opportunity for change through removing something old to create the time and space for your new solution. And you will have backed-up all this great thinking with optimal information that cleverly supports your change activities and overall plan.

In our experience, most knowledge workers do not fully understand that to deliver value (and so warrant their salaries) they must solve problems and realise opportunities, and that for either of these things to occur they must purposefully incite behaviour change. This lack of understanding leads to a lack of capability, which in turn means organisations commonly invest in solutions (new or improved products, services, processes, and tools) that the intended audiences underutilise – or don’t use at all.

To help your organisation to experience optimal change we can:

  • train your staff (see Skills Essentials course)
  • audit your change culture, capability, and processes
  • co-design optimal change
Change audit service

Because improvement and invention cannot occur without change, Simon provides independent criticism about the change culture, capability, and processes of your project or organisation.

Auditing the change capability of a project involves: reviewing the goal and the project and change management plans; and interviewing a range of stakeholders (those affected by the change).

Auditing the change capability of an organisation involves: interviewing goal setters (senior leadership), project leaders, and anyone responsible for change management; and reviewing any change management infrastructure (processes, information, tools).

For both types of audit, Simon then writes-up his findings, analysis, and recommendations (with the basis for each) into a report, which he delivers in person.

Change design service

All solutions involve change and all change meets resistance, so all solutions require change design. As a change manager, Simon helps you and your team to identify the behaviour changes needed to bring about the cost-effective adoption of a new or improved product, service, process, or tool, and then to design activities and supporting information to systematically bring about that change.

How do you book a service or get more information?

Please contact us to discuss or book an Optimal Change project.


 

Frequently asked questions

Why commission a change audit?
Nothing new, good or bad, comes without change. If your organisation is strong at thinking-up solutions but weak at enacting them, knowing this reality is highly valuable. It means you can invest in the capabilities, through hiring or training, that will give you the highest return. Many projects fail because the change management is poor or non-existent, and that failing stems from the top (the goal-setters) and runs through the entire project team. Change is everyone’s responsibility.