Top change management obstacles
2012 Edition of Best Practices in Change Management
 The seventh change management benchmarking study conducted by Prosci uncovered lessons learned from change practitioners around the world, examining topics ranging from advice for new practitioners to the application of social media on change projects. This action-oriented report is aimed at improving your change management work by helping you draw on the experiences of others. This tutorial shares the greatest obstacles to change management success, in addition to editor’s notes that offer further insight into the top change management obstacles.
Participants in Prosci’s 2012 Best Practices in Change Management report identified five main obstacles to the overall success of their change management programs. The top four obstacles matched the results from Prosci’s 2009 study. For the past three years, since Prosci has asked this question, hundreds of change management practitioners have struggled with the same four aspects of managing change. Are we listening? Take this opportunity to learn from others like you to help increase your change management success.
Prosci will be holding a special three-part webinar series on the new benchmarking report in April. The webinars will cover overall insights, new areas of research, and top contributors and obstacles. Register for one of these webinars below:
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Greatest change management obstacles from Prosci's 2012 edition of
Best Practices in Change Management1. Ineffective change management sponsorship from senior leaders Participants cited ineffective change sponsorship as their primary obstacle. Common problems included:
- Inactive or invisible sponsors
- Poor alignment between organizational direction and the objectives of the change
- Lack of sponsor commitment to change management
- Sponsors with competing priorities or changes in sponsorship
- Sponsors at the wrong level (not high enough in the organization)
- Little or no access to the primary sponsor
- Failure to build a coalition of sponsors
Editor's note: In Prosci's 2007, 2009 and 2011 benchmarking studies, ineffective change management sponsorship from senior leaders was identified as the number one change management obstacle. An absent, invisible or unengaged sponsor sends just as strong of a message to employees about the importance of a change as an engaged and active sponsor. Meanwhile, participants reported that 80% of projects with extremely effective sponsorship met or exceeded objectives. As a change management practitioner, it is your responsibility to inform and coach senior leaders on their roles in leading change. Are your senior sponsors aware of the importance of their role in ensuring project success? How well are your senior leaders fulfilling the role of sponsor?
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2. Insufficient change management resourcingParticipants cited a general lack of resources and funding available to conduct the necessary planning and implementation of change management. Specifically, participants struggled with:
- Insufficient resources to support change management required for the project
- Part-time resources; “working in the margin”
- Inadequate change management skills and knowledge to lead change management activities effectively
- Adding change management resources to the project team too late in the project life cycle
Editor's note: Research shows that when there is a change management resources dedicated to an change initiative, the project is more successful. Without a dedicated change management resource, change management activities slip and there is not a single point of contact focused on the people side of change. Securing change management resources for your project may not come easy if change management is not fully embraced in your organization. Nevertheless, successful projects incorporate effective change management, and effective change management starts with effective change leaders. Does your project include a budget for change management? Are change practitioners available in your organization to fill the resource void?
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3. Resistance to change from employeesEmployee resistance moved from the second greatest obstacle in 2009 to the third greatest obstacle in 2011. Reasons for employee resistance included:
- A lack of understanding why the change was needed and the “what’s in it for me?” (WIIFM)
- Employees are close to retirement and are unwilling to change
- Employees are unwilling to learn new systems or tools (satisfied with the current state)
- A loss of control or fear of loss of control
- Change saturation; employees were overwhelmed by the amount of change occurring in the organization
- A unwillingness to change due to poorly handled changes in the past
Editor's note: Resistance to change is inevitable, but being aware of the nature of this resistance can enable you as a change practitioner to better manage the resistance. Employees resist change most often because they lack awareness of the need for change and they fear the impacts of the change. When addressing these points of resistance, study participants recommended two areas of focus: 1) building awareness of why the change is needed, and 2) addressing how the change will directly impact employees. The research shows that messages addressing the first area are best received if from the primary sponsor or senior leader; messages addressing the second area are best received if delivered by an employee’s direct supervisor. Are you actively working to manage resistance to the change? Are the preferred senders of messages effectively fulfilling their roles?
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4. Middle-management resistanceMiddle managers were reluctant to support the change personally or lead the change with their staff. This resistance from middle managers resulted in a lack of consistent and accurate communication about the change to their employees. Participants cited the following reasons for management resistance:
- A fear of job loss or loss of control
- Were not supportive of the change itself
- A lack of understanding of the need for change management
- A lack of knowledge or skills to manage change effectively
- Insufficient time to complete change management activities; managers were task focused and unable to commit the necessary time to focus on the people side of the change
Editor's note: Managing resistance from managers proactively is important due to the critical role managers fill in leading their employees through change. Managers who have not embraced a change themselves cannot effectively lead their direct reports through the change. The 2012 report indicates that more than half of resistance from managers could have been avoided. Steps to proactively avoid manager resistance include: involving managers in all phases of the project, building awareness of the need for change and the impacts of the change early in the change process, and evoking executive support for the change. Are your managers adequately prepared for change? Are your managers ready and willing to lead their employees through change?
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5. Poor communicationParticipants cited a number of reasons that their communications were not effective including:
- Inconsistent messages
- Communications did not address the need or reason for the change
- Difficulty reaching employees because of geographical separation
- Long gaps of time between communications; poor communication “timeliness”
Editor's note: When communicating with employees, successful change messages share the WIIFM (“what’s in it for me”) for the target audience, explain the business reasons for why the change is happening, and are honest and clear. The research also indicates that the message deliverer is as important as the message content. Effective communications share the right message from the right sender. Poor communications tend to share in-depth details about the project (such as status updates and development) rather than the rationale for the change, and are often delivered by someone other than the preferred senders (such as a project leader or communication specialist). Best practices can guide you in creating effective "communications plans" instead of ineffective "telling plans." Who is communicating change messages in your organization? Are you keeping your audience in mind?
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Additional obstacles cited by participants included:
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Lack of buy-in for change management
Study respondents noted challenges getting senior executives and project teams to buy in to the need for change management and realize the financial benefits of change management. Without full support or understanding around the necessity for change management, change management was often either brought on to a project too late, under tasked only with communications and training activities, or not utilized on the project at all. Some respondents reported a struggle to get their organizations to realize the benefits of incorporating change management.
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Disconnect between project management and change management
Study respondents noted conflicting priorities and misalignment between project management and change management teams as a large obstacle to success. Respondents reported that a lack of consensus on how to integrate the two practices became a large challenge throughout the life of projects and often resulted in change management playing “second fiddle” to project management. Specifically, study participants cited difficulty involving and getting assistance from project managers.
Prosci's 2012 edition of the Best Practices in Change Management benchmarking report is the most complete body of knowledge available on change management. The 2012 study is the seventh benchmarking study Prosci has conducted over the last 14 years. The objective of this study is to uncover lessons learned from practitioners and consultants so current change management teams can benefit from these experiences - it is a forward looking, action-oriented report aimed at improving your change management work.
Register for a free webinar on the new benchmarking report:
Prosci will be holding a special three-part webinar series on the new benchmarking report in April. The webinars will cover overall insights, new areas of research, and top contributors and obstacles. Register for one of these webinars below:
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Prosci Change Management Certification
Program highlights:- Apply the methodology as you learn it on a real project
- Learn from experienced executive instructors
- Become part of a change management community
- Earn 2.4 CEUs, 24 PDUs and 23.5 HRCI recertification credits
- Walk away with products and course materials worth over $1000
Download the certification program brochure
Upcoming sessions with availability:
- April 24 - 26, 2012: Washington DC area
- May 15 - 17, 2012: Orlando, FL area
- May 22 - 24, 2012: San Diego, CA area
- May 22 - 24, 2012: Washington DC area
- June 5 - 7, 2012: Orlando, FL area
- June 19 - 21, 2012: Houston TX area
- June 26 - 28, 2012: Washington DC area
Visit the certification training page
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- Jennifer J., April 2009 participant “This was the most effective and engaging course I've ever taken. I feel that I can truly use this knowledge in my personal and professional life immediately.”
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Offerings for applying Prosci's change management methodologies:Training:
- Change management certification ($2100) - 3-day program where you bring a project you are working on and apply all of the assessments and tools as you learn them - taught by former fortune 500 executives at locations across the US - includes over $1000 in products, including the Best Practices in Change Management benchmarking report, the Change Management Toolkit and the Change Management Pilot Pro 2010
- Train-the-trainer ($2400) - learn how to teach Prosci change management training programs in your organization
- Onsite training - bring Prosci to your location for 3-day certification programs, 4-6 hour executive briefings, 1-day manager programs or 1-day employee programs - call +1-970-203-9332 for more information
Methodology tools:
- Change Management Toolkit ($389) - hardcopy 3-ring binder presenting the Prosci Change Management Methodology, includes templates, checklists and assessments for managing the people side of change (includes USB drive)
- Change Management Pilot Professional ($489) - online tool including the Prosci Change Management Methodology, eLearning modules and downloadable templates, assessments, presentations and checklists
- Change Management Guide for Managers and Supervisors ($189) - tools to help supervisors engage and coach their direct reports through change (includes 4 copies of the Employee's Survival Guide)
- PCT Analyzer ($149/$349) - web-based tool for collecting PCT Assessment data, analyzing results, identifying risks and developing action steps
References and books:
- Best Practices in Change Management benchmarking report ($289 / quantity discounts available) - journal-style report with lessons learned and best practices from 650 participants, presented in an easy-to-use format - reads as a checklist of what to do and what not to do
- Change Management: the people side of change ($18.95 / quantity discounts available) - a primer for anyone involved in organizational change that addresses why manage change, individual change management and organizational change management
- ADKAR: a model for change ($18.95 / quantity discounts available) - the definitive work on the Prosci ADKAR® Model
- Employee's Survival Guide to Change ($14.95 / quantity discounts available) - a handbook to help employees survive and thrive during change, answers frequently asked questions and empowers employees to take charge of change
*** Prosci also offers leadership packages - groupings of products at discounts that offer you some of the most helpful and common combinations of Prosci change management resources
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Email a Prosci analyst or call 970-203-9332 with questions about the methodology, its application, or finding the right resources to support your change management activities.
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