Change Management is a Function, Not an Initiative!

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Change management is not a standalone initiative but a continuous effort to capture and respond to relevant changes.

I can’t recall the exact time, but it was between 2021 and 2022 when I was once involved in reviewing some type of cooperation agreement between two entities. The agreement, signed in the 90s, seemed like it hadn’t been revised in a very long time.

Over the years, circumstances had changed for both parties, leading to disruptions in achieving the main objectives, which might become irrelevant as well.

I reviewed this alongside a colleague who had been there since the 90s.

He joked, “Where were you when this was signed?”

Seeing the year of signage, I bit recall that I replied, “I was probably in some school grade at that time.”!

We both laughed, and I added, “Why treat this like a marriage contract? Why hasn’t it been updated and amended?”

This experience underscores the importance of capturing and addressing changes regularly.

Relying on outdated circumstances or unexamined systems can lead to inefficiencies, misalignment with current realities, and even harm.

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What to do:

Change management needs to be assigned as a function, rather than temporary task forces. I personally believe, it would be more effective to make it a mainstreamed activity held by a responsible function, ensuring integration into strategy and implementation.

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