In times of digital change and disruption, more and more companies are trying to reinvent themselves. It is not uncommon for the management to be prepared for a major change in corporate structures and processes, but employees do not see any reason to participate. This calls for good change management.
Change management in the innovation process is usually a planned process to change an organization’s innovation culture, corporate systems and employee behavior. The aim is to improve the company’s efficiency in generating new ideas and solving problems. I already explained the chances of change management in this article.
In summary, change management in the innovation process focuses on a positive attitude of employees towards change and gives them the freedom to develop new ideas, applications or strategies.
Change management can sometimes be a lengthy process to get the last employee and manager out of his or her defensive attitude. In order to promote the culture of innovation in your own company, there are therefore various methods that can be used.
Cases
The best way to explain the new features of the familiar. In many change processes, fear of losing the familiar and familiar is a driving force behind resistance. With a use case, you can explain the advantages of innovation to the employee using an example from his or her daily work routine. He finds concrete processes and known steps in it and is thus able to think his way into the innovation more quickly.
Workshops
Probably the most common method of change is through workshops. All hierarchies of the company should participate, either together or in customized separate units. It is important to bring everyone in the company with you, even at the highest level of the organization. If everyone pulls together, a rethinking can be promoted and the defined goals are anchored in the minds of all employees in the best possible way. Only an integrated and collaborative innovation culture can be successful in the long term. Workshops promote them.
Communities
Swarm intelligence is a helpful tool when it comes to building an innovation culture in the company and changing into a disruptive working method. Communities and platforms are needed to enable employees to exchange information, organise project teams and inform participants. It is best to combine this with an existing internal department in order to reach as many employees as possible. Those affected can exchange their experiences and ask questions directly to the responsible change manager or the head of department. In this way, communication barriers are reduced and the employees feel more integrated and better taken care of in the change project.
Success Stories
It is important not only to initiate change, but also to accompany it continuously. Many companies make the mistake of stopping talking about the need for change after initial persuasion. Such painstakingly constructed structures can quickly break up again. Success stories help to anchor innovation even more firmly in the company. Staff voices are collected to report how the new processes or ideas have helped them in their daily work. This often encourages the motivation of company members who are not yet active to participate.
It is important that as a Chanage Manager, Innovator or Managing Director you are aware that change does not happen immediately. Social systems and corporate cultures cannot be changed spontaneously, which is why continuous and well thought-out communication is necessary. At the same time, there must be room for consolidation and integration in all processes.
