Unpacking the basics: change management.
In our last post, we unpacked digital transformation. We talked about how it’s a fundamental rethink of the way a business operates. But there is a trap that countless organisations fall into immediately after they decide to transform…
Unpacking the basics: change management.
Picture this: You have identified a problem. You have done your research or even engaged a consultant, and you are ready with a solution. You have invested significant budget into the best software platform out there. You deploy it on a Monday morning, expecting immediate efficiency gains and high-fives all around.
Instead, you get silence. Or worse, confusion. Your team ignores the new fancy tools and goes back to Excel. Productivity dips. Morale drops. The new software sits in the background while everyone insists on doing things the way they’ve always been done. Why? Because you upgraded the technology, but you forgot to upskill the users.
This is where change management comes in.
Change management is a critical part of digital transformation — it is about people. It is the most important, yet most overlooked, component of any digital project. You can buy the best software in the world, but if your team hates it, doesn’t understand it or feels threatened by it… you’re going to be in a pickle.
What is change management?
In the context of digital consulting, change management is a structured approach to moving an organisation from the current state to a desired future state. It is the bridge between the installation of a system (the technical side) and the adoption of a system (the human side).
While project management focuses on timelines and budgets and resources, change management focuses on resistance, fear, adoption and proficiency. It acknowledges a simple truth: humans are hardwired to resist change. We like safety, we like routine and we like knowing exactly how to do our jobs.
When you introduce a new digital tool, you are disrupting that sense of safety.
The valley of despair.
There is a predictable emotional journey that teams go through during a transformation. In the industry, we often map this against something called the Change Curve, but there is a specific phase of it that you need to know about: The Valley of Despair.
Here is how it usually plays out:
Uninformed optimism: At the start of the project, everyone is excited. The demo looks great. Basic use cases are bandied around. The promise of “less drudgery” sounds amazing. Morale is high.
Informed pessimism: The project starts. The reservations that were at the back of everyone’s minds now move to the front. People realise they have to learn new things and stopped doing things in the old way. The data migration is messy. It’s actually harder for people to do their job than it was before.
The valley of despair: The danger zone — this is where the reality of the change hits hard. Productivity drops to its lowest point. Users feel incompetent and frustrated, and misery can be contagious. They start saying things like, "The old way was better," or "This system is broken."
Most digital projects that “fail” don't fail because the tool is bad or the code is buggy. They fail because the leadership didn’t have a plan to support the team through this journey. They mistake the drop in productivity for failure, rather than a natural part of adoption.
Architects, not victims.
Some people are naturally curious and approach change with an open mind. They have a predilection for discovery — and they may even make the time to tinker. This is who tech is designed for — they are the ideal customer or end user. Then there’s everybody else. They have a job to do. They have lives and families and bills to pay and a commute to endure. They have a million things on their plate and a tech solution only half rolled out is not going to get them as pumped up as you hoped it would.
So, how do you get your team through the valley and up the slope to success?
Narrative is key. Too often, digital transformation feels like something that is done to employees, rather than with them. When a consultant or a boss drops a new system on a team without warning, the team feels like victims of the change. Any lingering sense of powerlessness they had comes to the fore.
To succeed, you need to make them architects of the change.
Start with “Why”: This should answer the question, “What’s in it for me?” Explain what the new tech does for the individual, get them comfortable with the idea beyond a high level sales pitch. It should make the transformation tangible but attractive.
Involve users early: Don’t wait until launch day to show the users the system. Get them involved as early as possible. If they spot a flaw and you fix it, they feel ownership over the tool.
Identify champions: You can’t be everywhere at once. Find those ideal end users your team, those who are naturally curious and enthusiastic, and train them up first. When the team is stuck in the Valley of Despair, they won't listen to the consultant, they will listen to their peer who says, “Actually, once you get used to it, this feature is really cool.”
Communicate relentlessly: In the absence of info, people make up their own stories. And, usually, those stories are negative (“They are bringing in AI to replace us”). You must control the narrative with clear, honest and frequent communication.
In summary.
The technology is the easy part. It’s the people in your team who are complicated, emotional and habit-driven.
If you are planning a digital transformation, look at your budget. If 100% of it is allocated to the solution and 0% is allocated to training, comms and support, you are heading for trouble.
Successful transformation is 20% about the tech and 80% about the people using it. By respecting the difficulty of the change and supporting your team through that challenges that come with a new way of operating, you turn a scary disruption into a shared victory.
Is your business ready for a change, but worried about the "people" side of the equation? We can help you navigate it — get in touch today.
