Wenn der Wind der Veränderung weht, bauen manche Mauern, die anderen setzen Segel Lao-tse

What is change management?

By definition, change or change management refers to the active management of change. The aim is to bring about change in an organization within a set timeframe. In order for the desired state to become the new, lived norm, there are various methods and instruments in change management that segment the change processes and make them controllable.

Change management helps companies to do this,

• to establish a general awareness of the need for change.
• to show employees a clear vision of the desired goal and the way to achieve it
• reduce resistance and absorb any uncertainties that arise.

Today, companies are increasingly subject to time and technologically motivated pressure to adapt in competition, but this mechanism is also their driving force and the basic prerequisite for remaining capable of acting and competitive through permanent change. Organizations that respond flexibly to the constantly changing framework conditions secure their place in the market and competition in the long term. Change management in times of crisis is thus actively counteracted.

Companies are subject to constant change, have periods of growth and depression, economic success or merge with other companies. As a result, structures, departments and divisions are constantly being adapted. All this happens under pressure from the market and competition for various reasons:

• Time: Companies must stay up to date under time pressure in order to remain sustainable.
• Resources: Raw materials are becoming scarcer and more expensive.
• Globalization: Resources are not always available in the domestic market, current geopolitical conflicts highlight these dependencies, yet sales markets are determined by global suppliers.
• Sustainability: political and social demands in relation to sustainable management and social responsibility
• Politics: ever stricter laws and certifications

At the same time, companies must meet the demands for a better work-life balance for their employees and create prospects in order to remain attractive as an employer. Only leadership that sees change as an opportunity and a driving force can turn these challenges into successes.

What change management approaches are there?

The best-known models include Elisabeth Kübler-Ross' change curve, Kurt Lewin's 3-phase model and John P. Kotter's 8-step model. Basically, the models deal with how employees, teams and companies implement change, cope with it emotionally and accept it as the new normal.

The Kübler-Ross change curve for personal motivation in change processes

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross describes a model of how people personally process changes and deal with them emotionally. If companies understand the respective emotional states of their employees and customers in such phases and act accordingly, they can anticipate much better and achieve the process more successfully and in a more timely manner.

3-phase model according to Lewin

Lewin's model is regarded as a basic model. He uses the example of an ice cube to describe the change in employee behavior associated with change, which goes through 3 phases before being reshaped: Unfreezing , Change and Refreezing .

8-step model according to Kotter

In his 8-stage model, John P. Kotter focuses on the people going through the change. He segments the change by looking at the people in order to reduce resistance and establish trust in the new path.

The 8 stages describe the individual stages of the change process: from creating the climate for change, to integrating the organization, to implementing and anchoring the new culture.

In today's world, a company has to adapt to its environment ever more quickly. In order to survive this dynamic change, constant changes must take place in order to operate successfully in the future. Changes can help to survive in times of crisis, to activate the necessary levers in the event of a merger or to restructure internal processes.

Last but not least, modern companies must take account of the changing world of work in order to remain attractive to potential candidates and their own employees. It is virtually a prerequisite to constantly drive change in order to remain attractive.

Change with Martens & Kollegen:

We are your change managers and implement new ideas in sales, marketing and the organization. We are direct but fair and always motivate the organization on its new path. Your opportunity for change.