Change Management
Professional service firms are increasingly challenged to adapt their strategy or organizations to compete. Their markets are characterized, among other things, by accelerated advances in technology, new models of service delivery (e.g. alternative legal service providers), changes in working environment (remote working), demands of new generations of employees (work/balance lifestyle) and consolidation and reorganizations driven by growth and profitability concerns.
Even if the change initiatives planned by firms to address these challenges are appropriate, the intended changes are often prejudiced by not achieving the stated objectives on time and on budget. Lack of awareness of the human factors that can inhibit successful implementation, and specific action plans to manage them, can significantly dilute desired change or even make it impossible. The cost of a failed reorganization or a long arduous implementation of new technology can be devastating, not only in monetary terms or in waste of resources but also in loss of morale and confidence in leadership.
Edge Principals can assist firms and their management in determining the feasibility and timing of changes but, even more importantly, understanding and orchestrating the human variables necessary to gain support and commitment from those affected by change decisions. Specifically, we can assist in
- identifying critical implementation issues and potential obstacles to organizational change
- assess the degree of consistency between the change and the existing culture (see also service description on “Cultural Assessment”)
- measuring resistance to change and developing effective strategies for its containment or elimination
- leadership and communication imperatives
- implementation planning and the resources to be allocated (financial and human)
We can provide “program assurance” to evaluate change programs at any stage in their lifecycle, recommending solutions to deal with any identified obstacles and accelerating positive change. Where change initiatives run aground and lose momentum we can intervene and provide advice to achieve a “turnaround”.