This article helps define Organizational Change Management (OCM) and Organizational Intelligence (OI) and addresses their practical relevance to healthy business operations.
What is Organizational Change Management (OCM)?
Organizational Change Management (OCM) is a framework for managing the effects of new processes, new technology, shifting economic landscapes, or organizational structure and culture changes within an enterprise. In short, OCM is a means of navigating through any change introduced into a group of individuals engaged as a body in a collective effort. In this discussion, we are looking at OCM applied to businesses.
What is Organizational Intelligence (OI)?
Organizational Intelligence (OI) is the capability of an organization to comprehend and create knowledge relevant to its purpose; in other words, it is the intellectual capacity of the entire organization (Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline). Key factors in OI are Organizational Awareness (the ability of the leadership to read a group’s invisible connections and dynamics within the organization) and Systems Thinking (the recognition by the leadership that the organization is an interconnected system comprised of people, ideas, and interrelationships).
Organizational Intelligence and recognition that an organization is a system are the foundation for effective Organizational Change Management. Any change, including growth, new personnel, or changes in leadership, can introduce tension into an organizational system since the elements are interrelated and interdependent – think of pulling on a string in the arm of a sweater and seeing the side of the sweater gather up. OCM is a proactive methodology for managing the impact on the organization and its operations.
How Does Organizational Change Management Apply to Organizations?
Application of OCM is especially relevant when an organization is anticipating any form of significant change – organizational structure, change in leadership, rapid growth, moving from R&D into Production, moving from low-volume to high-volume production, introduction of a new business system, ISO9001/AS9100 certification, acquisition. However, OCM can also be useful in any project where a new team is coming together to do work or where processes and systems are being evaluated for improvement.
Elements of Organizational Change Management include Planning and Strategy for change, Risk Identification and Assessment, and Communication and Monitoring.
By helping individuals in the business understand, navigate, and adapt to changes occurring, Organization Change Management can help minimize turmoil, confusion, fear, and uncertainty, which can, at best, slow down projects and, at worst, result in loss of motivation and attrition. Effective OCM can allow organizations to continually improve and evolve while keeping their personnel informed and content and the organization’s culture intact.
Organizational Change Management Consulting
The Redstone GCI team can assist your organization with creating a proactive approach to leading your teams through upcoming change, whether implementing a significant system change or simply experiencing change by taking on a new contract and assembling a new team. We can help your team navigate change successfully. Redstone offers several services related to Organization Change Management.
