Change Management Matters: Practical Tools to Strengthen ... Management... · Change Management...

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved

Kim Harvell Glover and Tamara Viles

May 2, 2013

Change Management Matters: Practical Tools to Strengthen Your KM Initiative

Aspen Technology’s Knowledge Management Initiative

© 2013 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved |

2

Agenda

About AspenTech

Why Change Management Matters in Knowledge Management

“KMCM” Process Flow

Meet People Where They Are: Assess the As-Is State

Tell People What’s Coming: Communication is Critical

Engage People: Address Stakeholders at Every Level

Respond to People: Measure and Adapt Your Strategy

Recognize People: Highlight Champions and Successes

Key Takeaways


3

About AspenTech

AspenTech is the world's leading supplier of software that optimizes process manufacturing

– Over 75,000 users at over 1,500 of the world's largest petroleum, chemical, engineering and construction, and pharmaceutical companies

– Founded in 1981, we’re a global company with 1,300 employees in 30+ countries

The Knowledge Management Office (KMO) was formed in 2001 to implement standardized processes and tools to capture and share intellectual capital and best practices

– The KM vision: “All employees will have access to the information, knowledge, and processes they need to achieve their individual objectives and help AspenTech meet its strategic goals.”


4

Why Change Management Matters

The power of KM to transform an organization is lost without careful attention to change management

Resistance to change is one of the biggest barriers to adoption of a new knowledge-sharing process

Change management bridges the gap between the new process and the people who will be using it

A holistic, practical and people-based approach to change management is a critical success factor for a successful knowledge management initiative: KMCM


5

Change Management in a KM Initiative: KMCM

KMCM: Knowledge Management

Change Management

The strategy and people-

based process of ensuring

that changes in knowledge

sharing are managed

carefully to ensure adoption.


6

Meet People Where They Are: Start at the Beginning to Build the Bridge

Understand and document all who are involved in the KM change – sponsors, stakeholders, evangelists, impacted employees / end users

Begin with an understanding of the as-is state; this provides the foundation for your change strategy

Assessment results identify roadblocks and issues and become the benchmark

It is critical to conduct both cultural and process-based assessments

KMCM


7

Assessment Tools and Resources: Building the Foundation for Your KMCM Plan

Audits identify hidden pockets of knowledge, knowledge flows

Surveys capture a baseline, give employees a voice, and identify trends

Requirements-gathering workshops provide an intimate setting and encourage storytelling

Individual interviews provide greater insight and allow for immediate follow-up and clarification questions

These approaches can be customized to capture:

– User behaviors, attitudes and perceived barriers

– Desired features / wish lists

– Current processes and knowledge-sharing approach

Employee profiles are developed based on the assessments


8

KMCM Assessment Examples

Pre- and Post-Project Surveys

Employee Interviews


9

Tell People What’s Coming: Communicate the Change

Define the change and its impact: purpose, expectations, benefits, process, timing

Develop “what this means to you” messaging for all profiles, focusing on what is important to them

– Aptitudes

– Acceptance level

– Geographical variances

– Generational differences

– Business unit culture

– Role-based needs

– Experience levels

– ?


10

KMCM Communications and Awareness: Increasing the Comfort Level

Target communications to the various profiles using varied methods and venues

Create buzz and awareness

– Prepare and share elevator speech about the KM change with evangelists and sponsors

Host multiple training or awareness sessions

– Provide scenarios during the sessions

– Record, post and advertise the sessions

Provide centralized help resources and Q&A forum

Highlight how initiatives augment or improve existing practices

Stay connected and keep the dialogue open


11

Communication Examples

Desktop Shortcuts

“Did You Know” Communications


12

Engage Key Stakeholders: Engagement Creates Empowerment

The KMCM strategy should engage stakeholders from every level of the organization, addressing their unique needs and concerns

– Sponsor(s), who endorse the KM change and lead by example

– Evangelists / early adopters, who interpret for their teams and sell the change and its benefits

– Employees / end users (user profiles are helpful in driving engagement for different employee groups)

Engagement tactics empower employees and create ownership

– Leading by example: using the new KM process

– All-employee surveys and reports

– Suggestion boxes and feedback mechanisms to identify issues

– Road shows

– Contests: naming, participation, etc.


13

Engagement Example: Intranet Naming Contest

Actual Candidates

Central

Galaxy

Galileo

Genesis

Scout

Sherlock

Runners Up Explanation

A finalist “I'm going to tell everyone that my suggested name was a finalist. It most certainly won't win, but at least everyone will think I was almost a winner. It's all about perception and self promotion…”

Bubba “’Cause Bubba knows all the answers.”

Everest “Mt Everest, known for its unique height, challenges to unique people, beauty, grandeur, ability to deal with complexity, created from the slow, but dynamic collection of surrounding masses, visible from distant points of view, known universally - the PEAK.”

Tsunami “As a memorial to the victims.”

Victoria “UK, 1861: Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg & Gotha (Price Consort) died leaving behind Queen Victoria who kept on going for 40 more years, which is pretty good going for a queen…or an intranet.”

Wolverine “Typical IT name (one of the X-men), but cooler. Computer guys always name stuff after comic book characters and sci-fi things. Have you ever worked in a company that didn't have a server called 'Enterprise' or 'Skywalker'? How tough sounding is 'Wolverine'? Just saying you are logging onto 'Wolverine' makes you grit your teeth and want to fight injustice. Come on, say it. Plus, Wolverine is the nickname for the dude who works at the Starbucks at the mall next store to HQ. The shorter guy with the dark hair and the mutton chops. You know who I am talking about. Good kid too. Friendly and always knows what I want.”


14

Measure and Adjust as You Go: Change Management is a Continuous Process

Monitor the perception of the change for each defined profile

Based on what you learn, update the KMCM approach as often as necessary to ensure success

Tactics include:

– Surveys to evaluate new KM initiative

– Analysis of suggestions, reported issues, complexity of questions, response times

– Usage reports, pre- and post-initiative

– Communications which require measurable action: “click here”, “attend this meeting”, “assign someone to participate”

– Intel about “water cooler” talk

– Human-to-human contact: “how’s it going” interactions with your community of practice

– Recognition for positive contributions


15

Highlight Champions and Successes

Identify influencers and champions who can advocate the change and act as change agents

– Early adopters should be trusted by their communities and have large networks; their buy-in will increase adoption and usage

Provide a sneak preview with an opportunity to give feedback

Their feedback – and their actions – are critical throughout the entire process, because they:

– Offer input on the change, adoption and overall KM initiative

– Augment the process to fit their communities

– Lead by example, influence their colleagues to use the new process, and increase the comfort levels of the change-averse

– Recognize and reward champions to encourage others to emulate their behaviors; small gifts go a long way


16

Change Management in a KM Initiative: Your Strategy Must Evolve


17

Key Takeaways

People are the most important consideration in change management for knowledge management (KMCM)

Change management in a KM initiative or project is iterative; to be successful, you must be agile, flexible and adaptive

Define and target profiles for maximum acceptance

Deploying a successful change management strategy is easier if you have a highly trained and engaged KM community of practice, in our case, the Sherpas

Have fun with it! Others will join you for the ride

http://sherlock.corp.aspentech.com/


18

Stay in Touch

We’d love to hear from you!

If you contact us, you will become a KM Benchmark Buddy

We will put you on our benchmark list and contact you from time to time to ask how you approach KM challenges

Email us! [email protected]

Kim Glover

Tamara Viles

Change Management Matters: Practical Tools to Strengthen ... Management... · Change Management...

Documents

Transcript of Change Management Matters: Practical Tools to Strengthen ... Management... · Change Management...