Making Change Happen on Time: On Time, on Target, on Budget Book

In this power-packed toolkit, Matejka and Murphy mix humor with meaning, theory with skill-building practicality, as they put the power to successfully plan for and implement any type of change initiative into the hands of employees at every level of today's team-based organizations.

Soundview Executive Book Summaries

On Time, On Target, On Budget
According to management experts Ken Matejka and Al Murphy, to make change happen, we must change ourselves. To help those who are initiating strategic changes, the people who have been delegated the responsibility of being the implementers of those changes, as well as the employees who will make the changes successful, they have written Making Change Happen. In it, the authors offer a systematic process for successfully leading organizational change. By providing a set of diagnostic tools to help organizations measure the importance of the external drivers of change and internal organizational fitness, they outline strategies for overcoming the challenges to the successful implementation of change. They also show how companies that were able to change successfully were able to do it. Their change-tracking map and planner help organizations get a grip on the process.

Leading Change Can Be Learned
The authors write that the majority of organizational changes are poorly implemented. They explain that most changes are destined to fail by being late, off target and over budget. They also write, "Leading change is an essential business competence that can be learned." By sharing the wisdom they have gained over the past 20 years working with organizations to improve their change efforts, the authors aim to help companies overcome negativism, skepticism, helplessness, hopelessness and resentment, and join the changing organizational world of the future.

Filled with a user-friendly blueprint to use when creating different types of change, Making Change Happen explains both the analysis phase of the business case for change and the personal case for change. It also describes five common potential barriers to successful implementation and the strategies that can overcome them. By presenting format templates that can be used for each type of change initiative, the authors strengthen any organization's ability to successfully implement change.

The first part of Making Change Happen delivers the necessary arguments that can help change leaders build, articulate and communicate a solid business case for change. The authors present an educated perspective on the concept of organizational change, and describe how the United States has always been on the cutting edge of change thanks to its immigration policies, its role as an inventor nation, and its belief in a better tomorrow.

After a thorough reflection on the importance, history and complexity of change, the authors dig into the difficult task of leading change and learning to love it.

The authors then outline a process and way of thinking and planning for successful change. By breaking down the complexities of change into a checklist of leadership capabilities, they focus readers on the most important aspects of ushering in a change initiative. Their "Blueprint for Implementing" includes the following elements:

• Analyze: Diagnose the sources and reasons for the change. This begins with gathering information.
• Establish a Clear Understanding of Each Change: Discover if change is necessary, why change is valuable, and what is driving change to occur.
• Articulate: Ensure that a compelling business case for a change initiative is clearly developed and communicated to those who must buy into it.
• Assess: The type of change that must take place and the implementation implications for that type of change must be identified. A decision must be made about how this type of change should be led.
• Appraise: This involves looking at the match between the organizational culture and the change that is desired, as well as the speed with which implementation can successfully be achieved. The authors write, "Given the degree of overlap, be realistic."
• Anticipate: Before taking action, evaluate and prioritize the obstacles standing in the way of the change. Explore the actions that can be taken before the change takes place to reduce or overcome resistance.
• Act: Assign the responsibility for the implementation of the strategic change to one individual. Sponsoring change requires leaders to make sound decisions and employ the best leadership practices.

The Art and Science of Leading Change
Making Change Happen puts the process of leading change into terms of both its science and its art. By outlining the steps that must be taken on the road to change and filling in the details with graphs, worksheets and the experiences of those who have made change happen, the authors offer organizations a firm foundation on which to build the changes that will lead to their future success.

Why We Like This Book
In Making Change Happen, the authors develop a complete resource for getting a change initiative off the ground. They also provide the enthusiasm and encouragement that can push change leaders toward the rewards that come with change. The smart preparation and planning tips the authors provide to those implementing change give them the knowledge they need to succeed. Copyright © 2006 Soundview Executive Book Summaries