How the right tools can accompany people in their transformation process.
In the corporate world, change management is gaining popularity, and many people from different professions are turning to this profession. Change management is a field of study with a structured approach by specialized multidisciplinary professionals to facilitate the successful transition of individuals and teams in the face of organizational change.
It focuses on preparing, training and supporting teams to effectively adopt and adapt to change. This involves maximizing the participation and contribution of collaborators in projects and the return on investment of initiatives.
However, it is often mistakenly believed that change management is a magic solution to any problem related to business transformation and that it can solve difficulties that, in reality, are part of much more complex processes and are linked to the culture of the company.
Change management is not a shortcut or a magic formula that guarantees success in a transformation project. For technological implementations there is a methodology designed to accompany people, prepare them for the change, and guarantee the change in their way of working for the use of the tool, however, a culture with a minimum flexibility is needed to allow the teams to accept the change. Imagine the process as therapy: no one is “cured” after one session. Therapy involves understanding the roots of the problem, recognizing behavioral patterns, and little by little, modifying attitudes. In organizational change something similar happens: real transformation does not happen overnight, but requires thorough preparation, accurate diagnosis and prolonged, careful intervention.
In any change process, people go through different emotions and behavioral stages. One of the objectives of change management will be to try to mitigate the gap from the initial moment to the desired scenario. It is about helping people to go through the change, seeking to reach acceptance and overcoming in the shortest possible time, adding wills, efforts and expected behaviors to the new vision proposed from the project.
In the end, the difference between a simple change and a real transformation lies in the depth of the behaviors we modify. A change is temporary: it can be a one-time action implemented to obtain an immediate result, such as a quick weight loss diet. However, if we do not transform the underlying habits and routines, the change will be superficial and short-lived. The same is true in organizations. True transformation occurs when people's behaviors and attitudes change in a profound way and in alignment with the company's values. This is the true objective of change management: not simply to force change, but to accompany a cultural evolution, just as a psychologist accompanies his patient.
Change management is not magic. It is an art that involves understanding, preparing and accompanying people in a profound and long-term process.
By Irene Marqués, Partner at Olivia Mexico.
