As a Business Architect, I look at the business with the same eye for structure that I had when I worked in IT. So the first time a client asked me to develop a formal Organizational Change Management program for them, my thought was “What does a Business Architect know about organizational change management?” Not being one to back away from a challenge, I immediately set out to answer my own question. As I looked at the problem through my eye for structure, the problem space demystified.
A Business Architecture primer
I am using the same working definition of Business Architecture that I have used in previous articles; that provided by the OMG Business Architecture Working Group.
Business Architecture is “A blueprint of the enterprise that provides a common understanding of the organization and is used to align strategic objectives and tactical demands.”
Their overview of business architecture states, among other things, that “Business Architecture defines the structure of the enterprise in terms of its governance structure, business processes, and business information. In defining the structure of the enterprise, business architecture considers customers, finances and the ever-changing market to align strategic goals and objectives with decisions regarding products and services; partners and suppliers; organization; capabilities; and key initiatives.”
Five aspects of this overview in particular are foundational components that I leverage to develop an Organizational Change Management program: organization, business processes, business information, capabilities and governance structures. The other aspects of the overview may come into play but these five are key.An Organizational Change Management primerThere are five components that make up a complete Organizational Change Management program:
- Communication program
- Impact mitigation strategy
- Incentives program
- Support structure
- Training
Do you have to execute all of these components? No. In fact, you do not have to do any of them; you can give the business your deliverable and turn and walk away. However, for each component that you develop and execute you are helping the business get that much closer to realizing the full value of their business and IT initiatives.
The Communication Program
If an enterprise, or even just a business unit, is implementing change, the first thing to do is communicate why the change is happening; share the vision. This does not mean put it on a poster in the break room. Every element of the organization needs a carefully crafted message that is meaningful to that part of the organization. Yes, the messages must be consistent but they are not “the same.” For example, the management team of a business unit wants to know if the change is going to help them achieve the financial goals that have been set them; front-line staff wants to know if the change makes their jobs easier or harder.
The Business Architect utilizes the organizational structure of the enterprise to identify the various parts of the organization affected by the change and to help craft specific, meaningful messages for each.
Impact Mitigation
Having determined which parts of the organization are impacted, it is up to the Business Architect to determine which processes are affected.
The reason you need the Business Architect involved, as opposed to relying on the business unit managers to make that determination, is because you want to consider the end-to-end business process; those that span business functions and organizational boundaries. If left up to the business unit managers, they would do a perfectly fine job of determining how the change affects their business unit but not necessarily how changes in their processes affect anyone else.
The Business Architect also understands the relationships between the business processes, the business information and the capabilities, both automated and manual. This understanding ensures that in addition to identifying the impact that a change has on business processes, the enterprise will also understand the changes to information flow and the tools that support the processes. It takes a structured, architectural view of the business to ensure that all aspects of change and its far-reaching impact are understood and well documented.
Incentive Programs
The incentive program ensures that personnel most affected by change are encouraged to change. It is human nature not to change. I park in the same parking space every day.
The Business Architect knows, having aligned the strategic objectives with tactical demands, what motivates each business unit and can quantify the value that successful change promises. These values not only play a part in determining effective incentives but are also leveraged when developing the communication program.
Support Structure
An effective support structure ensures that once that first step is taken, thanks to the incentive program, the business does not revert to its old ways at the first sign of trouble. The business knows that a support team is in place to help them through troubled times, fix what is broken, and get them back on track.
The Business Architect has enough information and documentation at this point to predict where the most impact to the business will occur. The governance structure provides insights into how the organization will be affected should something go wrong.
Training
While I have the utmost respect for professional trainers, training alone does not constitute Organizational Change Management. And if done poorly it can easily undo every other aspect of your change program.
The Business Architect works closely with the professional trainer to ensure that the trainer knows where process and tool training are required and, more importantly, the difference between the two.
Conclusion
Remember, you don’t have to do any of this. However, the closer you are to a complete, formal Organizational Change Management program the closer you are to realizing the full value of your business and IT change initiatives.
