A few years ago, Scott Harra and I were talking about organizational change management (OCM). I mentioned that OCM seemed like a “squishy discipline based on very little data”. Whereupon Scott passionately said, “Absolutely not true,” which definitely got my attention!
Scott pointed me to an article he had written describing the power of OCM and its relationship to data-driven cultures. He describes how at one time he did not consider OCM a necessary discipline.
Like many of us, he assumed that when a transformative solution was obvious to him then everyone else would naturally share his view and come along the change journey. We only wish that were the case!
After reading his article I was hooked and you can find a reprint of his article at:
Today, I know that solid OCM research identifies three measurable factors that influence change management effectiveness:
Speed to adoption: How quickly employees adopt new processes, tools, roles, skills, and behaviors
Utilization: How many employees do or do not “opt-out” of a change
Proficiency: How effective employees are when they implement the change
As CEO of Mass Ingenuity, a SaaS company, we ensure that these three factors and other OCM success factors are maximized. We do this through our easy-to-use cloud-based Results Software Dashboards that provide 24/7 real-time data to drive decisions and any necessary mitigation efforts.
Specifically, these dashboards include:
Survey results with employee data on speed to adoption, utilization, and proficiency (including employee comments)
Survey results with change readiness data (from impacted groups over time)
Effectiveness of OCM change communication and training
OCM tools, templates, and change-specific artifacts
Strategic initiative progress reporting and performance measures
Portfolio management and monitoring of change initiatives
OCM maturity dashboard
Sponsorship activities and task management
Most importantly, we have achieved some amazing client results. These include
50% decrease in operations waste
30% increase in sales
In addition, another client reported their employee engagement survey results increased an average of 42% in 24 months (despite significant budget cuts) – a staggering achievement.
It’s true that our Results Software and Services provide the platform to drive these results. However, it’s the power of OCM and data that enables and sustains these results.
As I have explored the link between OCM and data-driven cultures, the role of the CEO who plays a vital role as the sponsor, is even more clear to me now.
In fact, the Harvard Business Review lists executive sponsorship as the number one item on a list of ten for successfully creating a data-driven culture. In their words, “A data-driven culture starts at the [very] top.” And it’s not just sponsorship, it’s behavioral changes by the executive teams that are necessary as well, which is with whom we start our client engagements.
I have learned that systems and software are only effective when fully embraced by the employees at all levels. It requires executive sponsorship, solid OCM, and data. This winning combination provides the framework for a truly data-driven culture that is essential to growing a successful business.
I invite you to learn more about this winning combination. Mass Ingenuity’s Results Software and value-added services provide a platform for achieving results and creating a data-driven culture.
Aaron Howard,
President and C.E.O