Change management

Change management can help provide a structure for the organisational changes being implemented.

Organisational change is something which all of us are familiar with. Healthcare is system which is constantly evolving and changing to meet new challenges and incorporate new evidence, new technologies, and more efficient ways of working.

Change is intended to lead to improvements but can also lead to uncertainty, anxiety, and disruption in the shorter term. Change management is a way of providing a structure for the changes being implemented to minimise any disruption and introduce new ways of working in a planned and systematic way.

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Understanding the critical factors in leading change or an organisational development programme. Facilitating efficient knowledge transfer and communication skills to ensure colleagues and stakeholders understand the rationale for change and that they are engaged and aligned with the solution.
Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB) 12.12 Change Management

 Successful change management needs the support of senior leadership within a team or organisation but also requires collaboration between all employees or members of the team.

It is a process which requires investment in terms of planning time, effective communication, monitoring and adaptation as changes are made. There are a number of models, tools, and techniques which have been developed to assist with change management. 

Models, tools, and techniques for change management

There are a number of models, tools, and techniques which have been developed to assist with change management.

Kotters 8 Step Process for Leading Change

Harvard Business School’s Professor John Kotter developed his 8 stages of change management based on his research of dozens of organisations going through change. His key steps in the change process are below.

  1. Increase urgency.
  2. Build a guiding team. 
  3. Develop the vision.
  4. Communicate for buy-in. 
  5. Empower action. 
  6. Create short term wins. 
  7. Don’t let up.
  8. Make change stick.
Edwards Deming’s Plan, Do, Check, Act Cycle

The Plan, Do, Check, Act Cycle is a method for continuous improvement. It allows the trial of innovations which can then be assessed, adapted, improved and adopted where appropriate. 

  • Plan: Identify the aims and objectives and what actions are required to achieve them.
  • Do: Implement the actions identified in step one. 
  • Check: Monitor and reflect on the outcomes and impacts of the actions. 
  • Act: Using the learning from the “check” phase the process is improved and modified to avoid repeating mistakes and embed actions which lead to positive outcomes.
Jeff Hiatt’s Prosci ADKAR model

Based on Jeff Hiatt’s studies of over 700 organisations, this is a model which examines the 5 steps required for a successful change. It takes a more personal perspective looking at change from the perspective of individual employees.

Participants are assessed on a scale of 1-5 against each of the criteria and must score a 3 on a criteria before progressing to the next theme. It recognises that successful organisational change is dependent on individual change and the focus is therefore a personal one aimed at addressing and removing any barriers and obstacles at an individual level.

The 5 themes are below.

  • Awareness of the need for change.
  • Desire to participate and support in the change. 
  • Knowledge of how to change and what to do during and after the change. 
  • Ability to achieve or implement the change.
  • Reinforcement to ensure the results of a change continue.
Wessex Academic Health Science Network: Methodology for Spreading Innovation at Pace and Scale

Wessex have developed an evidence based, systematic approach to accelerating the spread and adoption of best practice across their region. The guidance includes 4 stages, including:

  • assessing the spread of adoption
  • deciding whether and how to spread
  • developin a spread plan
  • implementation and sustainability

Within these 4 stages are the 6 steps below.

  1. Assessing potential to spread.
  2. Assessing the potential for adoption.
  3. Deciding whether and how to spread an innovation. 
  4. Developing a network plan. 
  5. Communications Plan. 
  6. Implementation and Sustainability Plan. 

Find out more about the Methodology for Spreading Innovation at Pace and Scale by Wessex Academy Health Science Network.

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Page last reviewed: 21 July 2023
Next review due: 21 July 2024