Links We Love: Change Management Resources for Human Services

If you’ve ever started a new health or fitness regimen, you know this feeling: you recognize that trading in your existing habits for something better will have a positive impact on your well-being. But getting started seems so … daunting.

In human services, the same goes for making change on an organizational level. Whether you’re implementing a new tool, technology, policy, or practice model, it may seem scary at first, but it gets better as you begin to experience the value and benefits of change.

We recently published our own change management guide, Change Management 101: Empowering Human Services Agencies to Embrace Innovation, to ease your journey. Today we thought it would also be helpful to round up expert resources. Keep reading for an overview of how each resource can help you.

Change Readiness: Focusing Change Management Where It Counts [PMI]

• What it is: A Project Management Institute (PMI) white paper discussing change readiness and its importance at an organizational level.

• Why it's worth reading: The white paper breaks down various elements of change readiness that are important to the long-term success and outcome of any project. The notion is that change readiness is a measure of confidence—factoring in people, processes, technology, resources, and the organizational culture. PMI offers a ton of insight on the drivers of change readiness, what is being assessed during change readiness, and how much readiness is enough. Because change management is such an integral process, involving everyone from leadership to front-line staff is crucial to accessing the value and benefits of the change that is required.
• Notable excerpt: "One of the most common partial truths about fostering successful change revolves around the role of a sponsor or champion. This is an important role in the implementation and transition/integration phases of a project or program, but on the long road to a sustained success in delivering envisioned benefits, broad commitment of the operational contingent will have an even more powerful effect."

Best Practices in Change Management [Prosci]

• • What it is: A thought leadership resource developed by professionals at Prosci, a change management research company where change leaders work with organizations on how to effectively implement change and measure results.

• • Why it's worth reading: Prosci has researched best practices in change management for more than 25 years and routinely releases a new edition of their change management report. The article provides an in-depth understanding of seven best practices that are especially applicable in human services:
    1. 1. Mobilize active and visible executive sponsorship
       2. Apply a structured change management approach
       3. Engage with front-line employees
       4. Communicate frequently and openly
       5. Engage and integrate with project management
       6. Dedicate change management resources
       7. Engage with and support people
          
  • Notable excerpt: "Change management practitioners often struggle against the misconception that change management is "just communications." Although change management is much more than that, effective communications are critical to leading change successfully. Notably, 58% of employees prefer to receive communications about the personal impacts of change directly from their supervisors."

Change and Implementation in Practice [Capacity Building Center for States]

• • What it is: A collection of research-informed resources to learn how child welfare agencies can achieve meaningful change in practice and improve outcomes. Agencies can apply these resources to processes already in place to address any complex problems and unique challenges. There is also an overview brief that discusses why following a change and implementation process is useful and provides insight on crucial areas where change and implementation can be acknowledged and improved.

• • Why it's worth reading: The resource list provides individual links to learn more about each stage of the change and implementation process, with a focus on how readiness and teaming are key to an effective implementation. The resources are great for everyone involved in the change process, regardless of their role. Child welfare leaders, program managers, teams, support staff, and other stakeholders can draw from the resources to build their understanding of implementation in practice from start to finish.
  • Notable excerpt: "Current research indicates that the success of a new program or practice depends as much on effective implementation as on the strength of the selected intervention. A well-defined change and implementation process or framework offers a structured approach to help child welfare agencies and their system partners analyze the challenges they face and select and implement appropriate solutions."

Start with WHY [Simon Sinek]

• • See also: How to Discover Your "Why" in Difficult Times (TED Talk); How to Make a Cultural Transformation (Video)
  • What it is: “Start with WHY” is a book written by Simon Sinek that discusses how leaders with great influence think, act, and communicate the same way; which is the opposite from the way everyone else does. As Sinek describes, everyone has a personal why—a “purpose, cause or belief that drives” them—that gives our life meaning and fulfillment.

• • Why it's worth reading: Change can be difficult. As we move through the process of change, we are doing more than asking ourselves what the change is and how to change, but why? Discovering our why is motivating, gives clarity, and provides momentum towards the progression of change. Why are we modernizing our technology? Why would this type of change help our agency and clients? Why is this important to me as an individual and as a member of the team? Understanding the reasons for cultivating and implementing change, and how they those reasons tie back to your personal why, can support the journey of change and inspire individuals at an organizational level.
  • Notable excerpt: "Our WHYs are an articulation of who we are. For most, a good WHY statement is simple, easy to understand, and reflective of the person to whom it belongs. The WHY statement should not include WHATS (the tangible things we do/job titles/etc.). It should embody who you are in every facet of your life, not just work."

National Institute for Children's Health Quality Change Management Approach [NICHQ]

• • What it is: NICHQ is a non-profit organization that works to improve health outcomes for children and families on a national scale. NICHQ collaboratively works across systems and sectors, like schools, state health departments, and community-based organizations, to bring stakeholders together to support local change through evidence-based and data-driven strategies. Their approach discusses drivers of change from a people perspective and a technical perspective.

• • Why it's worth reading: NICHQ provides consultative services to help organizations launch new initiatives and drive successful change. They have partnered with the Center for the Study of Social Policy, Texas Department of Health and Human Services, New York State Department of Health, and other agencies & organizations to support change initiatives in system change. NICHQ is a great resource to collaborate with leaders in change management and there are various case studies of catalyzing change for children and families.
  • Notable excerpt: "We admit it. Change is hard, scary, and rarely follows a straight line. We’ve refined our change management approach over the last two decades and have found it to be the best way to prepare and support individuals, teams and organizations in making systems-level change. The key to our approach is recognizing that change has a people side and a technical side, knowing where to start and then how to bridge the two sides."