Organisation Change Readiness & Change Capability (Don’t Assume-Measure!)
Just because everyone is on-board and you have a Transformation or Change Plan, does not mean it will be plain sailing for your organisation’s program for change. Many organisations have found out to their cost by assuming what worked before, will work again, and initiate important change programs on that basis, including large progressive organisations. This explains to some extent why 70% + of Change Programs fail to meet their original objectives.
The 21st Century world is and will be a different place than even the recent past for everyone and every organisation:
Organisations are complex systems made up of many diverse elements that usually influence or impact on each other in different ways. We describe these influences or impacts as ‘The Inters’.
The world organisations exist in today is more Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA). This means there is a continuous flow of forces for change on most organisations and a higher degree of unpredictability in what those forces might be? when they will occur? how long they will last? and how they will behave?
Existing Models of Change (Kotter, Kubler-Ross, Covey, etc) though helpful are not sophisticated enough to deal with today’s VUCA organisation environments, and the variety and complexity that exists in organisations. Existing Models have moved us forward in the effectiveness of managing specific Change Initiatives/programs (Events), but not necessarily driving significant improvement in the Change Capability (Agility) of the Organisation.
The Root Cause of Change Failure
Extensive research by the Organisation Development Tools Institute identified that the primary cause of Change Failures relates to an Organisation, Team or Individual taking action that is beyond the ability of the target change element to absorb (Take on-board) resulting in lack of traction and/or sustainability to deliver the intended outcomes and outputs.
In order to achieve the desired change outcomes and outputs for any change you need to know:
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How Ready is the system or element for change (Where are you starting from)?
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How will that system or element respond to the change stimulus (What is its Capability to Change-Agility)
The follow-on questions are:
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How do we improve our organisations Readiness and Agility?
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What specific actions must we take to improve both Readiness & Agility?
By answering these two questions then the Organisation, Team or Individual can calibrate the Change Actions to achieve both Traction and Sustainability and can identify the appropriate integrated actions to improve the Change Capability over time.
When we look at other analysis and reports1 on why change fails? Or the critical success factors for Digital Change we see some or all of the following.
A combination or all of these lead to inappropriate change actions and are indicators of low Maturity of the Organisations or Teams Capabilities.
Capability Maturity Management ‘Next Generation Change & Transformation’
Capabilities are most often defined as ‘The ability to mobilise resources to achieve an Aim’. This is quite a general description but it captures the essence of what a Capability is. The strength of understanding and managing Capabilities is that it can apply at any organisation group or level and, to any person or thing. From a Business & Management perspective we are mainly concerned about the Capabilities of:
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Organisations
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Functions
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Teams
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Processes
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Activities
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People
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Machines
The Maturity Level defines the Functioning Level of an Organisation, Team or Specific Capability which can be measured and stated as the existing habituated level (measured level). So, the Maturity Level describes the Functioning Level and explains the consequential Performance, Practices and Behaviours.
The Maturity Level also describes the ‘Learning Level’ for an Organisation, Team or Specific Capability. The ‘Learning Level’ may be described as the ability to change, in other words the nature, magnitude and frequency of change that can gain sustainable traction (In effect the Agility).
By understanding the Maturity Level of an Organisation, Team or Specific Capability we can understand why it performs at a specific level and its ability to respond to change. This is important because Transformation and Change Programs have performance targets and aims from a business perspective, and to attain those targets and aims usually requires building new capabilities and building the Maturity level of some existing capabilities. It must do this in order to achieve the target business and change objectives within the desired time-frames.
A Capability Maturity Reference Model provides the means to:
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Identify Priority Organisation & Team Capabilities.
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Assess (Measure) the existing (current) Maturity of the Capabilities
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Identify appropriate change actions (Calibrate)
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Guide improving the Maturity for each Capability
A Capability Maturity Management Framework answers the key questions to assure Transformation & Change Success:
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How Ready is Organisation for change?
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What is its Capability to Change (Agility)?
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How do we improve the organisations Readiness and Agility?
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What specific actions must we take to improve both Readiness & Agility?
Choosing a Capability Maturity Model and Framework
The selection criteria for the Reference Model should include:
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Based on independent & objective scientific research.
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Normative reference base (measurement standard).
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Accessible, Useful & Usable by Industry & Professionals.
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Community led Application and Development
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Value Added Ecosystem for derived knowledge and tools
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Represent latest Knowledge & Best Practice
The ‘Reference Model & Framework’ should be chosen to support the specific Improvement, Change or Transformation objectives of the organisation, and connect both investment and action with achieving those objectives.
Whether it’s a tactical, short, or long-term strategic initiative, the use of the Model & Framework should guide the user Organisation, Teams and Individuals on the appropriate priorities, actions and impacts expected, day to day and over the long term. A good Model & Framework helps individuals and teams deal with the sophistication, complexity and interrelationships within and Organisation System.
Using a Capability Maturity Framework to Confirm Change Readiness & Level of Agility
The Organisation Capability Maturity Framework (OrgCMF™) Platform is an easy to access and use, self-managed tool kit for Change Agents and Change managers (which is us all, these days) based on Dynamic Systems Maturity Theory. Researched and Developed by the Organisation Development Tools Institute.
There are Three Reference Models available in the OrgCMF™ each of which includes
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Body of Knowledge which defines each Capability at each of the scientific Maturity Levels (Level 1 to 7).
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Maturity Development Roadmap for each Capability
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User Configurable Maturity Assessment Tool with Triage (Executive) and Diagnostic (Analysis) Assessment Tiers
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Calibrated action Guidance for every Capability Assessed
The Reference Models are:
Conclusions
In order to understand ‘Change Readiness & Change Capability’ and assure more successful outcomes and outputs for any Transformation, Change or Improvement, an organisation must adopt the Next Generation Set of Tools of Capability Maturity Assessment and Improvement.
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They complement existing but less sophisticated Change Models
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They allow for Organisation Complexity and VUCA
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The provide the Information on Readiness for Change
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They provide the information on Change Capability (Agility)
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They allow changes actions to be Calibrated for Traction and Sustainability
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They Reduce the Risk of Change Failure or sub-optimal outcomes
Related Papers
What are Capability Maturity Models and Frameworks
How to Build Organisation Change Capability (Agility)
How Capability Management advances Change Management
The importance of Reference Model Assessment in Organisation Change & Transformation