I’ve been working in change management long before I knew that I could enjoy a career as an Organizational Change Manager. I worked with individuals and families to change behavior in my first career as a counselor and then pivoted to organizational change management about ten years ago. So when I joined the Simplus Advisory practice, I was thrilled to learn that the Organizational Change Management (OCM) team used the Prosci methodology. 

The link between individual change management and organizational change management is undeniable, and that is what sets Prosci’s approach apart from other change management methodologies. Where other change methodologies focus solely on the organization level, Prosci considers the individual as well. That differentiation is why Simplus and countless others choose Prosci and the ADKAR model (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement) as our preferred method of implementing change. 

However, following a methodology alone will not give you the tools to achieve success in an enterprise change project. For real, tangible success throughout the organization, you need a structured change strategy—a way to start with the user’s experience in mind even before the project begins, a support system for adopting the change, and a constant emphasis on people-centered solutions. In short, you need a partner. Let’s review the three ways a dedicated OCM partner can take your latest organizational change and transform it from mere methodology to real results:

An OCM partner will… Start with user experience in mind

At the end of the day, changes to technology and processes are all about people getting used to and accepting a new way of doing things. Unfortunately, many projects start without this necessary consideration for the user experience, end-user training, or user adoption. 

As your partners in Change Management, we embark on the journey together. The Simplus OCM team brings years of experience in successful project implementations and complementary training curriculums. OCM experts have a seat at the table from the very beginning—before any code is developed or software is implemented. That way the OCM team can understand the business outcomes we’re working towards and align on user experience needs. Our team sits down with your team from the very beginning so we can best tailor solutions to your organization and set forth a practical plan to kick start your project.  

An OCM partner will… Support your team during transitionary periods

Many of our clients already have change, training, and communications teams. Some of their team members even have Prosci certifications. However, they still engage us as a Change Management partner because while they may be able to execute tasks internally, having a team whose sole responsibility is to guide you through a specific technology transition is best practice. 

An OCM partner is not a replacement for your existing team. We work in lockstep with your team’s efforts and help lift the heavy burden of managing every detail of digital transformation. Partnering with Simplus OCM also gives your internal teams the ability to focus on other initiatives, freeing up your full-time resources who often have other job responsibilities. While it may seem more cost-efficient to forego a change partner, relying 100 percent on your internal team is often a costly mistake learned in-flight. In fact, 81 percent of projects with effective change management stay on or under the original budget. I’d caution you to start a project without a dedicated Project Manager just as much as I would caution you to navigate through a large-scale and impactful change without an experienced Change Management partner. 

An OCM partner will… Put people-centered solutions on center stage

A good OCM partner will make learning your company culture, aligning with your stakeholders, and defining a strategy for success all a priority. But most of all, OCM will put the people at the forefront. 

Including a Change Management partner from day one ensures that people-centered solutions—not just technology solutions—are front and center in every decision. It’s easy for technology projects to get caught up in the technical requirements, coding, and QA testing without pausing to consider the day-to-day impact on everyday users. A formal Change Management partner is there to ensure this isn’t overlooked. Each project milestone is approached from the users’ perspective and end-user success criteria are established and consistently measured as the project progresses. At Simplus, our personalized OCM approach sets us apart from other firms—we tailor every change management curricula to your organization’s specific needs because our entire team is invested in your success.  

In the change management arena, we often say a good OCM plan is project insurance. Prosci research proves that structured Change Management improves the ability to achieve desired outcomes. Data from Prosci in 2017 told us that “projects with “excellent” change management strategies in place were six times more likely to meet objectives than those with “poor” change management.” Applying a structured change management plan is like buying insurance for your project. 

Simplus Change Management is here for you, our team is skilled at leading change initiatives, in a myriad of verticals, for mid-market and enterprise clients. We are Salesforce certified, Prosci certified, and have years of instructional design experience. Our people are the “secret sauce” of how we go beyond the methodology and make it happen at Simplus. Reach out to speak with our team of certified Change Management leaders and let us recommend innovative solutions from our core competencies in Change Management. 

Simplus is now offering Adoption Health Checks, a special offering to help get your change management initiative started with expert advisory insights. Learn more here.