What is change management – how does it work?

Managing change is not easy, but it is often necessary to improve and evolve – both as individuals and companies. We live in a world that continues to change rapidly. There will always be new challenges and new approaches to work. Procedures, jobs and work responsibilities within the company, organisational and technical restructuring, these are just part of such procedures related to change management.

For smaller companies, implementing new office software solutions might not be too much of a challenge. Usually, all you need to do is handle technical support and coordinate building the team. However, how does one deploy a change in current habits on a group of a hundred, five hundred or even thousands of employees? In the following article, we will help you better understand this process and support you in preparing for such changes with integrated tools such as the Google Workspace suite.

Change management – a definition

This process sums up collective activities that prepare employees for significant organisational change. It is a set of procedures that anticipates, organises and helps to overcome the challenges that your company may face during the process of adjusting to new technologies.

The easiest way to understand the process of change management is to use an appropriate example.

FOTC is a company specialised in implementation of the Google Workspace package in companies from many different industries and with different numbers of employees. The standard implementation of these services includes:

• Help to select the best service for the company.
• Migration of emails from legacy mailboxes to Gmail services.
• Help to configure the admin console and security settings.
• Post-implementation technical support.
• Possible training for users and system administrators.

How does change management work?

Starting with an initial review, deployment planning and establishing roles and expectations, how can our company help you go through the long list from kickoff to showtime? The services mentioned above are only part of the long list of tasks part of the change management process. For corporations that want a thorough preparation for implementing Google Workspace, FOTC also offers:

• A series of consultations and training sessions that will prepare the decision makers in the company for the next steps.
• A detailed plan tailored to your organisation’s needs, consisting of four steps, next to a list of additional details.
• The implementation team, consisting of FOTC representatives and company representatives from the technical, sales and other departments.
• Setting up an information campaign.
• Closed group service testing.
• Day 0 – start of services for all users.
• A program of internal ambassadors, who will support these changes from the inside out.

Why does your company need change management? 

Change management can drive the successful implementation, adoption and usage of change within your business. It will help employees understand the shift and commit to work effectively during it. But more than that, what are the real benefits of change management with Google Workspace and a Google partner? 

• Change management shortens the transition time, so these changes will not interfere with the workflow of the company.
• Planning reduces the risks associated with adopting new solutions. It helps avoid data leaks, slowdowns and unnecessary frustrations.
• Greater user satisfaction with early clarifications.
• Monitoring the progress with a Google partner allows you to detect potential problems in advance and prevent them effectively.
• Change management involves employees in all structures, while a common direction towards a goal helps the culture of the organisation.
• Faster adoption of Google’s suite of cloud-based office tools has the potential to increase the effectiveness of team collaboration.

What problems can be handled with change management? 

Change management solutions are designed to destress a company’s workload like pressing deadlines, critical projects or an ever growing list of priorities. Introducing changes adds new layers of complexity to the mix, but with the right tools and strategy in place, you can handle them. 

1. Employee resistance. Few people embrace change with no resistance – executives have their own approach towards the money aspect, management might find it hard to implement, while the rest of the team will hardly get up to date with the intentions behind the change. Be transparent with the team, provide ample training for each department and get management and executives involved. 
2. Communication issues. Google Workspace’s main goal is keeping the team connected, offline and offline, valuing internal communication with employees. With a plethora of channels of communication like Gmail, Google Chat or Google Meet, you can make a communication strategy part of your change management plan.
3. Implementing new technologies. There are not many challenges greater than implementing new technologies into an organisation’s workflow. New equipment and tools change the way everyone works. Get the support you need for a well-directed plan for change, plan spaced out roll-outs and assign people from different departments to take part of the implementation.

How to make change management more effective?

The first step towards a successful change is to understand the existing procedures in the organisation. Implementing Google Workspace is a complex, multi-level endeavour. That’s why it’s so important to present a shared vision and goal that everyone can identify with. When planning the individual stages of implementation, you should take into account both the roles of each individual and a predefined broad perspective.

FOTC’s change management methodology

1. Changes regarding the product

The first thing that will be noticed within the company culture is the emergence of new work tools. Depending on how open your employees are to new experiences,they might embrace the tools with reservation, indifference or enthusiasm. Every end user will have to invest time to get used to the interface of these new Google applications. Most people will feel confident using Gmail after a few minutes, but some users may need practical advice, support or additional training.

2. Changes regarding the policies

Along with new applications, the cloud will bring many new possibilities to the table. The implementation team must decide which Google Workspace features can be safely turned on and which should be kept off for security reasons. For example, consider the following scenarios:

• Will users be able to sign in to work accounts immediately on mobile devices?
• Can the files be shared outside the organisation?
• Will the use of two-step verification and a strong password be voluntary or enforced across the company?

3. Changes regarding the procedures

The least tangible level of change is a gradual metamorphosis of employee culture procedures and habits. It is worth planning and coordinating this progress, but the effects will not be immediately visible. For example, if you’ve never been able to use shared mailboxes or book events in a calendar, expect it to take some time before this becomes a habit for everyone.

What are the biggest challenges in managing change?

Here are some of the biggest challenges faced while managing organisational change:

• Tracking project health. Understanding the project and tracking its implementation can help you identify areas that need to be improved in order to get better outcomes. 
• Incorrect planning. Your change management project stands no chance without a proper planning set ahead of the execution. The higher management must stay alert and resolve conflicts, by identifying the employees needs and requirements. 

Real time evaluation of the change management efforts. While checking in on the project’s health, keep an eye on how the efforts are being embraced within the organsation. Continuous improvements will help the adoption rate, which, in the long run, will result in compounding benefits.

Do you need help managing change within your company?

If you feel your company is ready to adopt a set of cloud tools that will accelerate cooperation and improve internal communication, contact FOTC representatives to arrange a free consultation. We’ll show you the benefits of using Google Workspace within similar companies in your industry and prepare a change management process plan tailored to your organisation’s individual needs.