Introduction

"We know where we want to go, but it's too hard, too far and we don't have the staff to lead it"
"We have this new system, but it isn't being used properly"

Many senior executives in complex organisations know broadly the new direction they want to take the business, or the strategic goals they want to achieve, but lack the resources and skills to see the change through.

• There is insufficient spare human capacity to dedicate to the effort. The most competent people in the organisation have plenty to do just delivering "business as usual", and cannot be diverted from doing that to a project. More junior staff cannot lead projects; they don't have the experience that spans the business or the 'clout'. Significant organisational change projects require dedicated and senior resources to see them through.
• Most project management methodologies work well for technical projects, and poorly for organisational change projects. In organisational change projects, it is difficult to estimate the scope and size of tasks, and the non-technical issues that have to be addressed will frequently outweigh the technical issues. An exclusive focus on one or the other will handicap the project's success. Organisational change projects require staffing with people who are experienced in the both the systems and people issues involved.
• Long-term organisational commitment and concentration by senior managers will wane before the project becomes self-sustaining. There are always urgent diversions along the way that divert employees from the project, even if it is "No1 priority". Significant organisational change projects require sustained support and dedicated change champions.
• Project management disciplines are not in place. Most significant change initiatives start with senior managers attending meetings at which many things get decided, but not carried out; many staff have good ideas that get lost in the daily project crises. Significant organisational change projects require good project management and general management disciplines.
• There is no clear understanding of all of the endstate, magnitude and detail of the change task involved in the change. Many staff in organisations can argue passionately about specific change initiatives they have been through, and why they failed: "Not enough communication", "not clear enough direction", "change was too quick and our systems couldn't cope". The ideas that make for successful organisational change are within the organisation, it is just that they are widely dispersed and not marshalled. Significant organisational change projects require both the vision and the detail to see them through.