The Change Management Process (130 points)

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Action Planning Tools

After all is said and done, more is often said than done! – Aesop or Lou Holz

This section explores a selection of action planning tools that change agents find particularly useful (see Table 9.3). Selecting the appropriate tool is both an art and science: An art as the story of Waugh at HP illustrated (see above), and a science as one analyzes data carefully and makes appropriate selections. In addition to the tools listed here, remember to reflect on action planning tools discussed in other chapters such as tools for assessing and/or handling: the need for change (Chapter 3); gap analyses, readiness for change and the framing of the vision for the change (Chapter 4); formal systems and processes (Chapter 5); the political and cultural dimension of change, including stakeholder and force field analyses (Chapter 6); recipients of change (Chapter 7), your own skills and competencies as a change agent (Chapter 8); and the use of measurement in the advancement of change (Chapter 10).

Table 9.3 Tools for Action Planning Table 9.3 Tools for Action Planning

1. To-do list—a checklist of things to do

2. Responsibility charting—who will do what, when, where, why, and how

3. Contingency planning—consideration of what should be done when things do not work as planned on critical issues

4. Flow charting—a way of diagramming the nature of the existing process you wish to examine and set out how you propose to change it

5. Design thinking—an approach used to engage others collectively in creative problem solving around what needs to change and the design of the change itself — a tool that can be used in conjunction with visioning initiatives

6. Surveys, survey feedback, and appreciative inquiry—capturing people’s opinions and tracking their responses, observations, and insights over time, to assist in identifying what needs changing, nurturing engagement and support, and in tracking progress

7. Project planning and critical path methods—operations research techniques for scheduling work. These methods provide deadlines and insight as to which activities cannot be delayed to meet those deadlines.

8. Tools that assess forces that affect outcomes and stakeholders—these tools are closely related to force field and stakeholder analysis discussed in Chapter 6:

a. Commitment charts—an evaluation of the level of commitment of major players (against, neutral, let it happen, help it happen, make it happen)

b. The adoption continuum or awareness, interest, desire, adoption (AIDA) analysis—examination of major players and their position on the AIDA

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continuum related to the proposed changes c. Cultural mapping—an approach that provides for a more detailed

assessment of the cultural context the change is occurring in; particularly useful when the goal is cultural change

9. Leverage analysis—determination of methods of influencing major groups or players regarding the proposed changes

10. Training and development tools—tools related to the design and delivery of educational initiatives that advance employee knowledge and ability to perform effectively, given the changes

11. Diverse change approaches—a variety of techniques and tools that brings about change and that continues to grow

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1. To-Do Lists When managers engage in action planning, they often begin by outlining in detail the sequence of steps they will take initially to achieve their goals. That is, they make a list. A to-do list, a checklist of things to do, is the simplest and most common planning tool. Sometimes this is all the situation requires. As the action planning becomes more sophisticated, simple to-do lists will not suffice and responsibility charting provides more control.