Change & Digital Transformation

Change & digital Transformation

Change and transformation: In essence, these two terms have something in common. They are both about change.

But while change projects tend to describe definable projects with a specific goal, transformation is more comprehensive, more far-reaching and often difficult to grasp. The common ground of change puts a demand on employees and teams that applies to both change projects and transformations:

A fundamental ability to change must be developed and promoted!

Increasing the success rate of change projects

Involving employees

Official partner of Janssen’s Model Four Rooms

Increasing the success rate of change projects

Involving employees

Official partner of Janssen’s Model Four Rooms

Shaping change – involving employees

Change projects are a supposedly simple undertaking because they usually pursue a clear objective. This makes it easier to draw up plans for implementation and – with good planning – ultimately to implement the change itself. But a look at the success rate of change projects raises some doubts, as it has remained virtually unchanged for years at only around 30%. And the reasons for delays or even complete failure are many and various.

One of the most frequently listed is inadequate communication. This is well-known and actually trivial. In addition, the lack of willingness to change is often cited as an obstacle from the perspective of those who drive change projects forward. From the perspective of those affected, the lack of involvement in the course of the project is criticized – because they perceive one-sided information, but no communication. And this is where we come to the crux of the matter.

If change projects already rarely succeed, what chance of success can transformations have? Only through serious and genuine participation in projects. An open and trusting exchange of ideas and opinions is essential, and not just a passive acceptance of information. If this is not achieved in change projects, it will be even less likely to succeed in transformations without serious involvement.

In contrast to change projects, transformations are much less tangible. Continuous adaptation to changing conditions is not the exception, but the rule. Transformations such as a complete reorientation of the previous business or comprehensive processes such as digitization or the development of a vision for dealing with climate change, are also characterized by enormous complexity. The degree of uncertainty is correspondingly high for all those involved.

Change and Transformation are feasible!

A comprehensive knowledge and a confident application of tools and methods will remain a necessary tool for managers and project leaders in the future.

But with increasing complexity and uncertainty – or, to put it another way, the impossibility of being able to plan and control everything down to the last detail – simply because it is unknown and new, it is above all essential to develop and promote the fundamental ability of employees and team to change. And this is crucial for success, so that managers and employees are not only involved in change, but also want to and are able to actively shape it!

Ability to change – the metacompetence of the future

The ability to change is one, perhaps even the most important, of the so-called meta-competencies that must be present and promoted in order to remain fit for the future. However, the conditions are not always ideal: Especially in an environment with a wide variety of challenges for employees and managers, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain, let alone increase, one´s own performance. But the strength and energy of each individual is nevertheless necessary to remain efficient and innovative as an organization.

Uncertainty in dealing with change is a real energy killer. Anyone who wants to successfully drive change projects and transformations forward must therefore eliminate vague fears, build resilience, and encourage everyone involved that change is, above all, one and the same thing: a great opportunity! This requires a new approach: Change Capability.

Change Capability – the success factor for change projects and transformations

We integrate „Janssen´s Model“, the so-called “Four Rooms of Change”, in every design and promotion of change processes. We are, in fact, the official partner in Germany and China for this model, which is both very helpful and, above all, easily accessible for everyone. In this model, the most important requirements for change processes are optimally fulfilled. One´s own, while the mutual willingness and ability to change is increased.

The “Four Rooms of Change” create a common platform, a “common denominator” in order to implement the desired change projects effectively and constructively, especially in phases of uncertainty. We call this special setting with new and special capabilities: Change Capability.

And this change capability is precisely the success lever you need to shift for the successful completion of change projects and the long road to transformation.