Managing change is an essential part of successful project management. It focuses on how change is implemented and deals with influencing people, the most unpredictable aspect. Change management includes activities like change analysis, stakeholder engagement, communication, and managing resistance. It is important for every project manager to understand the basics of change management as most projects do not have a dedicated resource for it, and people's support often determines a project's success.

1. CHANGE MANAGEMENT
IN PROJECTS
By Edda Nömmela

2. WHY:
Project
Failure

3. TO
MANAGEMENT
INTRO
CHANGE

4. DEFINITION
Change management is the application of structured processes and set of tools for
leading the people side of change to achieve a desired outcome (Prosci, 2016).
It focuses on the PROCESS –
how change is implemented.

5. IN AN IDEAL WORLD
If I build it,
everyone will use it
If I build it,
everyone will use it immediately
If I build it,
everyone will use it effectively

6. IN A REAL WORLD
Organizations are introducing more EMPOWERING structures, cultures and ways of
working
Change management is discretely incorporated into the existing roles and
responsibilities of project managers.
INTERPERSONAL and POLITICAL SKILLS are
needed to work cross-functionally with a
diverse group of stakeholders

7. WHAT IS CHANGE MANAGEMENT
 Crucial part of a change project
 Deals with the most important yet most
unpredictable aspect of the
implementation; THE PEOPLE
 Each and every project manager
should know the basics
Meet
objectives
Finish on time and
on budget
Return On Investment
(ROI) realized
LEADERSHIP
CHANGE
MANAGEMENT
PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
(Prosci, 2016)

8. “Valley of despair”
Without change management With change management
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT
(Newton, 2007)

9. PROJECT
FAILURE
PART I

10. FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
A TYPICAL PROJECT
10
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014
Successful
Challenged
Failed
(The Standish Group International, 2015)

11. No
stakeholder
involvement
EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF FAILURE
No
documented
success
criteria
(Kappelman et al. 2006)

12. AND CHALLENGED PROJECTS
Top 5 responses for what project managers would do better next time:
1. Engage sponsors better
2. Start change management activities sooner
3. Emphasize employee engagement and involvement
4. Secure sufficient resources for change management
5. Improve communications
(Hiatt & Creasey 2003, p. 129.)

13. MANAGING
CHANGE
PART II

14. Common vision and
direction that is
separate from the
past
Find sponsors and
supporters to
create a guiding
coalition
Craft an
implementation
plan including quick
wins
Communicate
extensively and
encourage
involvement
Consolidate gains
and produce more
change
Reinforce and
institutionalize the
change
Commitment
Engagement
Awareness & understanding

15. PRINCIPLES
“if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail”
 Remember the 5 P's:
Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance
 Projects are 90% planning, 10% implementation
There are no IT projects!
If a project is seen solely as an IT project, getting
the buy-in from business teams is a lot more difficult
 the project is likely to fail

16. FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
FAMOUS CHANGE MANAGEMENT MODELS
16
Lewin 1951 Kotter 1996 Beer et al. 1990 Nadler 1998
Unfreeze
1. Establish a sense of urgency
2. Create a guiding coalition
1. Commitment to change through
joint diagnosis of business problems
1. Recognize the change
imperative
Move/Change
3. Develop a vision and strategy 2. Develop shared vision
2. Develop a shared
direction4. Communicate the vision
5. Empower employees to action
3. Consensus, competence to enact
and cohesion around new vision
6. Generate short-term wins
7. Consolidate gains and produce more
change
4. Spread through all departments
without push from the top
3. Implement change
Refreeze 8. Incorporate changes into the culture
5. Institutionalize through formal
policies
4. Consolidate change
6. Monitor and adjust in response to
problems
5. Sustain change

17. ORGANIZATIONS HAVE MANY DIMENSIONS
CHANGES
HAVE TO BE
ANALYZED
FROM ALL
DIMENSION:
WHAT
CHANGES
AND HOW?
DATA
PROCESSES
SYSTEMS
CULTURE
PEOPLE
STRUCTURE
TASKS

18. CHANGE
ACTIVITIES
PART III

19. KEY CHANGE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
 Change analysis and planning
 Stakeholder engagement
 Communication
 Expectations management
 Training coordination
 Change monitoring / follow-up

20. INSPIRING CHANGE
SEE:
Point to the destination and why it’s worth going there
FEEL:
Knowing isn’t enough – make people feel something
CHANGE:
Shrink the change – find small milestones
Build the guiding team
Behaviour is contagious – build habits
Remember:
What looks like a
people problem is
often a situation
problem
(Heath & Heath 2010)

21. RESISTANCE TO CHANGE
Resistance is a way of saying ‘NO' to
change.
Change brings new choices that create
uncertainty.
Their resistance is expressed through a
lack of motivation and low
commitment to change.
What looks like resistance is often lack
of clarity.
The best approach to managing
resistance is an open and honest
dialogue with the resistors, where their
concerns are heard and addressed.

22. SUMMARY
Managing change(s) is an essential value-adding activity in successful project
management.
People’s behaviour, attitude and support often decide if a project is a success or a
failure.
Most projects won’t have a special resource for doing change management.
Therefore, it is essential that every project manager knows the basics
about change analysis, stakeholder engagement, communication
and managing resistance.