“Another change? And we’re the last ones to find out about it…”
Does that sound familiar?
If yes, there’s a high chance your company is surviving change rather than leading it.
What is change management in a nutshell
Change management is an (un)structured approach to how you prepare, execute, and embed change with people, so that the new way of working becomes the standard – and so that your investment in change pays off.
It’s not something nice-to-have or trendy. It’s the bridge between:
Strategy – “what we want to change and why”
and
Reality – “how people actually work today.”
Without this bridge, even the best projects land in a vacuum. Without people on board.
What happens in companies that don’t address change management
Companies without a systematic approach to change typically experience the same pattern:
- Projects are completed “on paper”, but in day-to-day operations everything runs the old way.
- People learn new things through trial and error.
- Parallel processes emerge – a new system and old Excel spreadsheets function in parallel
- Mental and work load increases – no one is quite sure what is expected of them.
- Turnover goes up because people feel they’ve been thrown in at the deep end with no support.
As a result, the company:
- reacts more slowly to the market,
- makes poorer use of technologies it has already invested in,
- loses people’s engagement – and with it, agility.
And now the other side of the story: companies that work with change strategically
Organisations that treat change management as part of their strategy do several things differently:
They plan change for people as carefully as for systems
The change has its own strategy and plan – communication, training, support, adoption metrics.
They know who is impacted the most.
They have an analysis of key stakeholders and personas impacted by the change.
So they know how to talk to managers, how to talk to production, how to talk to a sales reps in the field.
They give leaders a real role, not just a slide deck or an email to send.
Managers are prepared for questions, have arguments, and know how to lead their team through the change.
They measure adoption, not just go-live.
They care about who has logged into the new system, who is using new features, who understands their new role, where things are stuck – and they adjust the plan accordingly.
Such companies are able to:
- bring new products or services to market faster,
- handle reorganisations, mergers, and digitalisation better,
- retain their people even when going through demanding periods.
Why the gap will keep growing
With the increasing pace of change, one thing is certain:
Companies that can manage change repeatedly and in a structured way will have an advantage.
Not because they have more sophisticated tools.
But because they have prepared people.
Those people:
- understand faster what is happening,
- struggle less with ambiguity,
- have greater trust in leadership,
- are able not only to survive change, but to co-create it.
Do you want to be among those setting the pace – not just trying to catch up?
If you feel your organisation has gone through several imperfect changes, or you’re facing a major transformation project, this is the ideal moment to look at it differently.
How I can help
I can help you:
- map the current state – where change management is missing or weakened,
- design a change management strategy tailored to your specific environment,
- set up practical tools and processes that your team can actually use in daily work,
- support your leaders and ambassadors so they’re not alone in leading the change,
- train your leaders, HR, or project managers to lead change effectively and meaningfully.
I invite you to an introductory consultation – we’ll look at your specific projects and identify where change management can bring you quick and visible value.