What is OCM? Organizational Change Management Deep Dive

Summary

Organizational Change Management (OCM) is a critical tool for preparing individuals for change within an organization. It addresses the diverse reactions to change, from resistance to early adoption, by employing various strategies tailored to different personality types. The process involves a continuous cycle of discovery, planning, and creation, using tools like surveys, interviews, and focus groups to assess and influence change at individual, team, leadership, and organizational levels. The goal is to create a tailored approach that aligns with the organization's unique needs, ensuring a successful and sustainable transformation.

Takeaways

• 🔧 **Organizational Change Management (OCM)** is a tool designed to prepare people for change and encourage buy-in to make the transition smoother.
• 🧗 People's reactions to change typically fall into three categories: resistance, early adoption, and a wait-and-see approach.
• 👥 **Different Approaches Needed**: OCM strategies must address the needs of individuals, teams, leaders, and the organization as a whole.
• 🔍 **Discovery Phase**: The initial step in OCM involves understanding the organization's culture, team dynamics, and individual attitudes towards change through surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
• 📈 **Prepare Phase**: Following discovery, a detailed plan is created, taking into account the organization's vision and the needs identified in the discovery phase.
• 🛠️ **Creation Phase**: This phase involves the application of various OCM tools aimed at influencing individuals, teams, leadership, and the organization to embrace change.
• 🏢 **Individual Focus**: Tools for individuals address the 'what's in it for me?' question, ensuring that change is perceived as beneficial.
• 👩‍💼 **Leadership Tools**: Focus on equipping leaders with the skills to lead change effectively, emphasizing the importance of leadership buy-in and influence.
• 👥 **Team Tools**: Emphasize the collective 'what can we achieve together?' by assessing team effectiveness and fostering a collaborative environment for change.
• 🌟 **Organizational Tools**: Set a vision and strategy to answer 'what is possible?', inspiring the organization to dream big about the potential outcomes of the change.
• 🔁 **Continuous Process**: The OCM process is iterative, with regular reassessments and adjustments to ensure the change initiative aligns with the organization's goals and progress.
• 🌐 **Tailored Approach**: Public Knowledge's approach to OCM is customized to each organization's unique context, recognizing that one-size-fits-all solutions are not effective.

Q & A

What does OCM stand for and what is its purpose?

OCM stands for Organizational Change Management. Its purpose is to prepare people for change, get them to buy into it, and become excited about the change to make the transition smoother.

How do people typically react to change according to the transcript?

People generally fall into three categories when it comes to change: resistant, early adopters, and those who wait and see. Resistant individuals are against change, early adopters are eager to jump in, and the wait-and-see group takes time to adapt after observing the early adopters.

Why is it important to address each individual's awareness and need for change?

Addressing each individual's awareness and need for change is crucial because without it, the organization's collective change process stalls, and you may end up with a few early adopters succeeding while the majority is left behind or resisting the change.

What are the different phases of the OCM process mentioned in the transcript?

The different phases of the OCM process mentioned are Discovery, Prepare, and Create. Each phase involves specific activities such as assessing the organization, planning, and implementing change management tools.

What tools are commonly used during the Discovery phase of OCM?

During the Discovery phase, common tools include surveys, interviews, and focus groups. These tools help assess what people know about the change, their excitement levels, and what could help them understand and adapt to the change better.

What is the main goal of the Prepare phase in OCM?

The main goal of the Prepare phase is to create a specific, individualized plan for the organization's change based on the findings from the Discovery phase. This includes developing a master OCM plan with detailed instructions and timelines for the subsequent Create phase.

How does the Create phase of OCM influence individuals and teams?

In the Create phase, OCM tools aim to influence individuals by answering 'what is it for me?' to show them the benefits of change. For teams, the focus is on 'what can we achieve together?', assessing team effectiveness, and using them as champions for the change.

What is the significance of having a continuous process in OCM?

Having a continuous process in OCM is significant because it allows for reassessing and adjusting the change management strategy as needed. This adaptability ensures that the approach remains effective and aligned with the organization's unique needs and the progress of the change initiative.

Why is it necessary to tailor OCM tools to the specific organization and change project?

OCM tools need to be tailored to the specific organization and change project because no two organizations or change projects are the same. Each has different people, goals, and outcomes, requiring a customized approach to be effective.

How does the transcript suggest maintaining focus on an organization's core mission during change?

The transcript suggests maintaining focus on an organization's core mission during change by integrating OCM efforts into existing processes, minimizing additional workload, and ensuring that change management supports rather than distracts from the organization's primary objectives.

Outlines

00:00

🛠 Organizational Change Management (OCM) Overview

This paragraph introduces Organizational Change Management (OCM) as a tool designed to prepare individuals for change and encourage their buy-in. It outlines the three categories of people's reactions to change: resistors, early adopters, and the middle group who wait to see. The importance of addressing each individual's awareness, needs, and willingness to change is emphasized to ensure collective organizational change. The paragraph also discusses the OCM process, which includes discovery, preparation, and creation phases, each with specific tools and methods to assess and implement change effectively.

05:02

🔍 Discovery and Preparation Phases in OCM

The second paragraph delves into the discovery phase of OCM, where the organization's readiness for change is assessed through qualitative and quantitative tools like surveys, interviews, and focus groups. It highlights the need to understand the organization's composition regarding change readiness. The preparation phase is then described as the planning stage where a tailored OCM plan is developed, considering the organization's vision and needs identified in the discovery phase. The paragraph also mentions the creation phase, which involves using various OCM tools to influence individuals, teams, leadership, and the organization as a whole, ensuring that change is embraced at all levels.

10:04

🔨 Implementation and Continuous Assessment in OCM

The final paragraph focuses on the implementation of OCM tools during the creation phase, targeting different levels within the organization: individuals, teams, leadership, and the organization itself. It discusses the importance of understanding the 'why' behind change for individuals, leadership's role in driving change, and the collective potential of teams. The paragraph emphasizes the continuous nature of the OCM process, with regular reassessments and adjustments to the change management strategy based on benchmarks and the organization's response to change. It concludes by stressing the unique approach Public Knowledge takes with each client, tailoring OCM tools to suit the specific needs and context of the organization.

Keywords

💡Organizational Change Management (OCM)

Organizational Change Management (OCM) refers to a set of tools and methodologies used to prepare people for change within an organization, helping them to embrace and support the change process. In the video, OCM is central to the theme as it is discussed as a means to facilitate smoother transitions during organizational transformations. The script mentions that OCM involves different strategies for different types of people within an organization, aiming to get everyone 'bought in' to the change.

💡Early Adopters

Early adopters are individuals who quickly embrace new changes and are often the first to try out new systems or ideas. In the context of the video, early adopters are contrasted with those who are resistant to change. The script uses the term to describe those who 'jump in two feet first' and may even be ready for change before the organization is fully prepared to support it.

💡Resistance to Change

Resistance to change is a common reaction where individuals are reluctant to accept or adopt new changes. The video script highlights this concept by discussing how some people will 'fight you all along the way' and wait until the last possible minute to change. It is a significant challenge that OCM strategies aim to overcome by addressing the concerns and needs of these individuals.

💡Change Management Tools

Change management tools are the various methods and techniques used to manage the change process within an organization. The video emphasizes the importance of having a toolbox of such tools to address different needs and types of people. These tools include surveys, interviews, and focus groups, which are used during the discovery phase to assess the organization's readiness and attitudes towards change.

💡Discovery Phase

The discovery phase is the initial stage of the OCM process where the organization's current state is assessed to understand the types of changes individuals are ready for. The video script describes this phase as involving 'qualitative and quantitative discovery tools' to gather information about the organization's culture and readiness for change, setting the foundation for subsequent planning and implementation.

💡Prepare Phase

The prepare phase follows the discovery phase and is focused on planning how to manage the change. As mentioned in the script, this phase involves creating a 'specific individualized plan' for the organization's change, taking into account the findings from the discovery phase. It includes developing a master OCM plan with detailed instructions and timelines for the change process.

💡Create Phase

The create phase is where the actual implementation of change management strategies occurs. The video script explains that this phase uses 'everything in our toolbox' to influence individuals, teams, leadership, and the organization as a whole. It is about applying the planned strategies and tools to affect change and involves continuous assessment to ensure the change is proceeding as intended.

💡Stakeholders

Stakeholders are individuals or groups who have an interest or are affected by the change. The video mentions the need to use tools that can influence not only internal stakeholders (like employees and leaders) but also external ones (such as partners or customers). Understanding and engaging stakeholders is crucial for the success of the change management process.

💡Continuous Process

A continuous process implies that the change management activities do not stop after one cycle but are repeated as needed. The video script describes the OCM process as a cycle that can be reassessed and repeated, adapting to the organization's needs and the effectiveness of the change strategies. This reflects the dynamic nature of change management and the importance of flexibility in approach.

💡Adaptation

Adaptation in the context of the video refers to the customization of OCM tools and strategies to fit the specific needs of an organization. The script emphasizes that 'no two organizations and no two change projects are the same,' highlighting the importance of tailoring the change management approach to the unique context of each organization. This ensures that the strategies used are the most effective for that particular environment.

💡Communication Tools

Communication tools are methods used to disseminate information and engage with individuals during the change process. The video script discusses the importance of these tools in helping teams and individuals understand the change and why it is happening. Effective communication is key to addressing the 'why' behind the change, which is crucial for gaining buy-in and support from the organization's members.

Highlights

Organizational Change Management (OCM) is a tool used to prepare people for change and gain their buy-in.

People's reactions to change can be categorized into three types: resistant, early adopters, and wait-and-see.

Addressing each individual's awareness and need for change is crucial for collective organizational change.

OCM involves a continuous process of assessing and implementing change, starting with discovery.

The discovery phase involves understanding the organization's change readiness and individual types.

Qualitative and quantitative tools like surveys, interviews, and focus groups are used in the discovery phase.

The prepare phase is about planning and creating a tailored OCM plan for the organization's change.

The creation phase utilizes various OCM tools aimed at individuals, teams, leadership, and the organization.

Individual tools focus on answering 'What's in it for me?' to influence change acceptance.

Leadership tools aim to equip leaders with the skills to lead and influence change within the organization.

Team tools are designed to assess and enhance team effectiveness, which is key to successful change implementation.

Organizational tools set vision and strategy, dreaming about what's possible through the change project.

The OCM process is continuous, with reassessment and adjustments based on benchmarks and success measures.

Public Knowledge's approach to OCM is tailored to the unique needs of each organization and change project.

Communication tools and strategies are adapted to support teams and individuals without adding undue burden.

The ultimate goal of OCM is to ensure the change is the success the organization intended it to be.

Transcripts

[Music]

ocm

stands for organizational change

management and it's actually a tool

used to prepare people for change and

get them to buy

in and get more excited about the change

so that that change is easier

you actually have people fall into three

different categories when it comes to

change

some are very resistant they don't want

to change

they're going to wait until the last

possible minute to change

and they're going to fight you all along

the way i'm sure that you've worked with

many of those

and you have on the other extreme the

early adopters

that are like jumping in two feet first

probably before you're ready for them to

change

um the system's out there and they're

jumping in already using it

and then the ones in the middle that are

going to kind of wait and see see how

those early adopters go

they'll change at some point but it's

going to take some time

we actually have different methods for

addressing all different types of people

when it comes to ocm

and part of the process is getting each

individual bought in

so that collectively the organization

can change

until you address each individual and

their awareness and their need and their

want to change

nothing moves and you have people

fighting against you you may have a few

early adopters who are doing really good

with the change

but the majority of your organization is

left behind

and you have um quite a few of them

saying what the heck are we doing and

why are we doing this

and fighting you all along the way and a

large group that's just kind of waiting

to see

is this actually going to stick is this

a change that we're going to actually

follow through with this time is it

something i need and until you can prove

that to them

they're not going to make the shift so

we think about

ocm and change management as you have

all these squiggly lines all of this

work happening over here

on the left we come in we apply ocm

and then you have straight lines

straight to the end goal so it's a

matter of saying okay where are we now

and where do we need to go so if we go

with our theory of public knowledge that

you have to address every individual in

order to get them to change it sounds

really complicated

it sounds really hard it sounds like we

have to have a different approach for

every single individual

but that's not the case many ocm tools

will hit at many different types of

people and will hit very many different

types of needs

in the organization for that change so

we have a continuous process

of assessing and implementing

organizational change management

it starts with discovery and then it

goes to prepare

and then it goes to create and we have

different tools for each one

so in the discovery phase we are getting

to know your organization

getting to know your team getting to

know your staff getting to know

what types of change individuals you

have at your organization

like i said you're going to have all

three types but we want to know

do you have more of one type than

another a lot of organizations do

some are really adept and nimble and

change often and so they have a lot of

early adopters they tend to attract more

early adopters and some don't change

very often

they're very heavily regulated

potentially

stuck in a lot of different processes

and procedures everything's documented

you follow that and so you have a lot in

the other category of those that are

really resistant to that change

we're going to come in and do these this

discovery process where we're assessing

what people know about the change are

they excited about it are they not

what would help them understand the

change better and help them do their

jobs better

and we use different qualitative and

quantitative discovery tools

to do this so the most common ones are

surveys and interviews and focus groups

but we have a lot of other tools in our

toolbox for the discovery phase

after we finish the discovery phase we

move into the prepare phase

this is all about planning so this is

taking

all of the world and the research and

the methodologies around organizational

change management

and creating a specific individualized

plan

for your organization and for your

change and what we're doing in that

process is we're saying okay

what is your vision where are your needs

that we found out in the discovery phase

and then what

tools might we create and plan for that

would help address those needs and

prepare your organization

and your people for the change and so in

this phase at the end

we have a master ocm plan that has very

detailed

instructions and plans around the

timelines and the

tools that we'll be using in the

creation phase

in the creation phase we're using

everything in our toolbox that is a

tool of ocm in order to affect and

influence

the individuals your teams your

leadership and

ultimately your organization sometimes

we're also using tools to affect

stakeholders that are external to

the company because oftentimes these

change will affect other people

outside of our company as well as those

inside okay we have a lot of tools in

our creation toolbox

but they all hit at four different

levels so we have the individual

the teams and the leadership and the

organization

so for individuals and external

stakeholders both

we have tools that are aimed at

answering the question

which is what is it for me again our

theory is that individuals don't change

unless they understand the why behind it

and why it's going to be better for them

if it's not better for them why would

they make the change why would they

learn a new tool why would they

learn a new technology and so all of our

creation tools at the individual level

are aimed at the individual in

influencing and answering that question

for them

our tools for leadership are a little

different these tools are aimed at how

do i lead

change there's no way that a change is

going to be effective

at a company or an organization unless

the leaders are behind it

unless they're leading it unless they

are influencing the people at the

company to say this is what we need to

do

we need to do it now and building a case

for change

and so for leaders we're really looking

at how do you influence how do you have

good

team building skills how do you have

good leadership skills

how do you lead change within your

organization and we have creation tools

aimed

at answering that question for your

leaders our creation tools for teams are

a little different this is aiming at the

question of what can we

achieve together so oftentimes during

the discovery phase

we're assessing how effective your teams

are because without effective teams most

of your work is not going to get done

including your change so oftentimes

change efforts and ocm rely on teams

within your organization

that are working very effectively

together to

help be champions for the change and to

help get

get excited and celebrate the different

changes and the different milestones

within your change

and then the last area of ocm tools that

we have in our toolbox

are for the organization and for the

organization the question is

what can we achieve together what is

possible

and that's a really exciting question to

answer this is all about setting

vision and strategy and really dreaming

about what it is you're trying to affect

what it is you're trying to achieve and

what's the impact and the outcomes

that you want at the end of the day

through your change project whether

that's a technology or not

we want to say okay looking down the

road at the end of this process what do

we want to see in place

what's possible and really dream

envision that with your leadership

and your entire organization so that

everyone can get behind

what it is you're trying to get to this

process

of the discovery phase the planning

phase

and the creation phase is meant to be a

continuous one

so within every ocm project we are once

we get through all those three phases

going back to reassess the organization

we actually set benchmarks for our

change what do we how do we measure it

and how do we measure success

and then we look to see if we've

achieved that if we have

great we continue doing the same thing

we plan out for the next phase

and we use those same creation tools but

sometimes we get in and we realize this

isn't working for this organization the

people aren't behind it they're not

being influenced

by the tools that we're using and so

we'll readjust we'll move the needle

we'll

come up with a new plan for phase two

and then we'll find new creation tools

that will help your organization move

your change forward

this process is continuous that's why

it's set in a circle

and it can happen as many times as

needed if it's a short

term change we're probably only going

through that cycle once

maybe twice if it's a long term change

it can happen many times sometimes we

decide to reassess every six months or

every year

depending on the length of the project

is it two three five

ten years long the last thing i want to

say about public knowledge and our

approach to organizational change

management is that we know that no

no two organizations and no two change

projects are the same

ever they're always different they have

different people they have different

goals they have different outcomes

and so we don't come in and apply the

same plan

and the same ocm tools to every client

we really tailor and adapt our already

you know cultivated tools and tool sets

but we make sure that it's the ones that

work for you and your organization and

your teams

many people will come in in an ocm

project and say

these are the six things that we know

you can do and you will have success

we know from 30 plus years of ocm work

that's simply not true it's not that

simple people aren't

that simple organizations aren't that

simple and

change surely is not that simple so we

definitely have a process

and we have a lot of tools in our

toolbox but part of what makes us unique

is that we're adapting them to your

needs and your organization

what are the communication tools that

are going to help with your team

and your individuals the most what are

the different things that we can put

into your communications the different

messages

what's the frequency what meetings are

you already having that we can work

through so that we're not adding more

work

to your play and your team's plate

because we know in this day and age

everyone's busy everyone has a lot of

things on their plate and taking their

eye

off of their core mission and their core

vision is really hard for organizations

to do so we try to keep you focused on

that

and then we help support you from the

from behind crafting messages crafting

communications

helping to set up change guides and

change champions

and really assessing how that's going

and making sure

that your change is exactly the success

that you wanted it to be

you