Business Change: The BEE Methodology©

Why do we need to manage change?

Business change projects can be split into two parts: the technical side of change and the people side of change.

Technical details such as new IT systems or structural changes often take the priority because there is a tangible end product. Consequently, business heads can see the benefits and justify the investment required to make these changes.

What is often left behind is the people side of change. The new systems shift how employees fundamentally approach their work, yet people are often comfortable with the old ways of working and are resistant to these big changes. The degree to which employees can adapt their behaviour to the new processes significantly influences the effectiveness of the change itself.

Our research has found that 70% of business change projects fail to meet all their objectives. That is often because they have missed ‘people’ out of their approach to change, making these common mistakes:

• Projects teams seldom think of ‘Colleague adoption’ as part of the project
• There is little to no budget allocation for a business change manager
• Project teams are often deploying projects quickly, in an agile way
• Colleagues are often overexposed to many new changes at one time without understanding or consideration to their day roles

Using a more structured approach ensures employee adoption is considered throughout the entire process, rather than an afterthought. Change management provides a structured process and a tool kit to achieve successful people change. Employees are engaged, understanding the need for change as well as the benefits to their day-to-day work.

Which change methodology is the best?

There are a variety of change methodologies, with different focusses, depending on the type of business change.

PROSCI ADKAR Training:

This is the most widely adopted change management framework, making it the industry standard. Whilst effective, this intensive & detailed training can take many weeks or months, making it a big commitment to undertake.

COMMUNICATION Training:

Stand-alone training which doesn’t form part of a complete change management methodology.

PRINCE2 Training:

Formal, detailed training which only matches particular projects and lacks emphasis on engagement.

AGILE Training:

This often neglects people, focussing instead on feature prioritisation and development.

BEE Methodology©:

This is the methodology recommended by PDCS for its comprehensive process, its flexibility, as well as a focus on engaging staff. The process tries to find the balance between maximising the benefits of the business change, while minimising the amount of interference caused to employee’s day-to-day work.

What is the BEE Methodology©?

The BEE Methodology© aims to make the change process simple. The ‘Build’ phase is all about understanding you, your people and your current ways of working. Then we ‘Excite’ by creating a communications plan that will intrigue and inform staff about the possibilities of the new change. Finally, we ‘Equip’ through training to provide the skills and knowledge needed to achieve a smooth adoption journey.

“People are at the heart of your business and any changes within it. The more employees are excited about change, the more remarkable the results.

Effective change management is critical to business success – as long as you take your people with you. We can ensure staff are captivated, motivated and enthused about whatever changes lie ahead.”

– Nicola Graham, Managing Director & Co-founder of ‘Simplify Change’

Adopting a new technology, application or process should not be complicated. In fact, we believe it should be as non-invasive, intuitive and simple as possible. People are happy to buy into a new project or technology – as long as they are given the right information and skills. Together with our partner ‘Simplify Change’, we help to instil confidence and help everyone adapt to change as quickly as possible.