Welcome to the sixth edition of our quarterly newsletter -
People-Centred Implementation.
(formerly Implement)

changefirst® provides tailored solutions for clients to build sustainable change capability through knowledge, skill and process transfer. In that spirit People-Centred Implementation will focus on giving you information and advice on how to improve your change implementation performance. We also know you are incredibly busy so People-Centred Implementation will always be short and action oriented.

David Miller
Managing Director

Did you know that.....

.....during major IT change, organisations are most likely to "apply change management" if they anticipate an impact on customer service or core processes.

This is one early result from our IT and change survey.  Our goal is to develop a comprehensive picture of how companies are handling issues of people change related to Information Technology and the implications for maximising IT investment.

The full report will be published in October 2005.

If you would like more information about this report please contact:
John Parkinson
Tel +44 (0)1444 450777 john.parkinson@changefirst.com

Change Methodology Transfer

What is PCI™?

Like most of our clients you probably share three beliefs about change. Firstly, you know you have really smart people who could be developed to lead change effectively (at a much lower cost than hiring external consultants). Secondly you understand that effective change requires the engagement of all people in the organisation and that this has to be led by your own change leaders. Lastly you have become tired of dependence on external consultants and you are rightly sceptical of their undertakings to transfer their approaches and methodologies to you.

But at the back of your mind is the FUD factor. You are Fearful, Uncertain and frankly, Doubtful about whether 'just training' people will be successful. And the data supports you! Most research, for the last 40 years, shows that only between 10 and 30% of what is learned in the classroom is actually used on the job.

So how do you ensure that your investment in capability-building really does pay-off for your organisation? Field research suggests that training application rates can increase by up to 75% if the training is followed up systematically.

The rest of the article describes how to increase your return from an investment in our methodology [People-Centred Implementation (PCI™)] but the recommendations can be equally applied to other organisational capabilities such as process improvement or project management.

There are 6 key steps to ensure a high return on your investment:

1. Obtain leadership buy-in to the use of PCI™
2. Use PCI™ with people in workshops using "live" projects
3. Use internal people to spread PCI™ through the organisation
4. Support people using PCI™ on major projects
5. Share best PCI™ application practice
6. Integrate PCI™ into the DNA of the organisation

More about each...............

1.   Obtain leadership buy-in to the use of PCI™

Executive sponsorship is the best way to assure success. PCI™ concepts and strategies need to be explained and embraced. Executives should understand and know when and how to request key change metrics. Major decisions can be made about deployment of the PCI™ application e.g. on which type of initiatives. The biggest leverage, though, comes from having executives who demand quality change plans and metrics. This really drives the application of what is learned in PCI™ workshops and the desire to develop PCI™ skills.

2.   Use PCI™ with people in workshops using "live" projects

Organisations can increase the effectiveness of training by as much as 40% if they ensure that participants are working on real time projects and issues. Our approach is to only work with people who bring projects to workshops either in teams or on their own; it really drives the motivation to learn 'through the roof'. The added benefit for organisations is that they obtain an immediate pay-back on the time invested, because people will immediately increase the speed and depth of implementation of the projects they bring to the workshop.

3.   Use internal people to spread PCI™ through the organisation

The very heart of embedding a capability is for your own people to be able to sustain and transfer that capability to others in the organisation. You should create a core of your best people as change coaches to work with others and support other people during implementation through structured workshops and transfer of tools and procedures. Without this you remain over-reliant on external help. Also your credibility suffers and the people you are transferring to never really believe that they can use PCI™ without external help.

4.   Ensure people use PCI™ on major projects

Probably the biggest resistance we hear to any methodology in an organisation is "they (senior management) didn't insist the methodology was used on project Mars (substitute any project title!)". This causes high levels of scepticism and more importantly the organisation misses an opportunity to practice and learn. Our view would be that any executive team must ensure that PCI™ is used on the top organisational-wide projects. Anything else is a waste of valuable investment funds and seen as the latest but temporary "fad".

5.   Share best PCI™ application practice

Form networks of PCI™ practitioners in your organisation so they can provide feedback and advice to one another about actual projects that are on-going. Host clinics to share learning about barriers and enablers. Include successful cases from this sharing into future training. After some time formalise this sharing into a Knowledge Management strategy for PCI™.

6.   Integrate PCI™ into the DNA of the organisation

Methodologies prosper in organisations when they are weaved into the fabric of the organisation. Conversely they fail when people have to keep on making the links for themselves. Our most successful clients link PCI™ into other organisational processes. Examples include process improvement approaches, project management methodologies, investment approval policies, risk management policies, standardised management development etc.

Finally - from a personal perspective

This is all about 'Using or losing it'. People need to learn by practicing and ultimately being held accountable for results from the organisations investment in PCI™. There is nothing of value that people learn that doesn't require personal discipline, adaptability and practice. And PCI™, or any other important methodology, is no different. Probably the toughest part of this learning journey is the learning from failure. You tried your hardest and it still didn't pay-off. The toughness and adaptability to 'dust yourself off' and try again is the hallmark of the seasoned, and ultimately, successful change leader.