Change is inevitable and sometimes frightening. Managing through a major shift in any area of your Middle Market organization can take finesse. Sometimes you need an expert in dealing with change –and that expert could be you or anyone qualified in your C-Suite.
What An Expert Brings To The Table
Well, in two words: expertise and experience. Depending on where your Middle Market firm is in its corporate journey, there might have been no reason for a major shift. So, you and your leaders may be lacking in experience leading through change and you may have no idea where and how to start.
Enter a Change Management expert – usually in a consultative, short-term role. An expert will observe your operations, get input and data from key employees and then formulate a plan. Often, they will be a focal contact through the change process and will stick around to provide support and guidance as things wrap up.
An expert can provide support and lend confidence to the process. They can usually quickly answer questions and help the change event come about quickly.
Why You Or Your Team Might Be A Better Choice
As great as an expert is, consultants aren’t the right choice for every company or change. Here are some reasons you might want to use internal resources.
- You don’t have the funds – consultants are generally expensive
- Your teams have a lot of complimentary experience that could be of use
- Your culture wouldn’t respond well to an outsider telling them what to do
- The change you need to shift is pretty minimal
- You have everything you need in-house, you just aren’t sure how to put it together
Up Your Success Factors
If you choose to not bring an expert, there are many ways you can help to increase your success. Start by making sure your employees, leaders and executives are all informed of the situation and are given a chance to express their opinions. You may find many in your Middle Market company are able to shed light on the change and have suggestions for managing the process.
Next, build a team comprised of people from each affected area and have them work as your expert. They can gather the necessary information, get employee buy-in and feedback and educate themselves, you and all employees about the process.
Communication at all levels will be vital during a change event, so work out how often you’ll communicate to individuals, teams, and your entire staff, as well as how you’ll communicate and what avenues employees have for feedback and suggestions.
Develop or invest in project management tracking tools and make sure everyone involved knows how to use them. Use a realistic timeline and add in incentives for all employees to help ensure success in sticking to them.
What Other Options Exist
There is middle ground between hiring a change management expert and going it alone.
- You could form a Board of Advisors tasked with reviewing the situation and offering advice
- Look at hiring a consultant or expert to just evaluate and offer advice or a plan of attack
- You could pay for team members education in change management or in your specific goal
- You could use a hybrid of everything we’ve mentioned
It may make sense to bring in an expert, or you may have everything you need already within your Middle Market organization. Make a decision that best fits your unique situation for the best chance at success.
So what’s in the Mighty Middle Market for me? — get it right now at www.Go4ROI.com.