I’ve said this statement many times, but a recent comment made me realize how it hit home. Much of what change management advocates is good practice for managing people on a day-to-day basis.

Change in the workplace is constant, which requires ongoing attention to take care of your workforce through sound management strategies. It requires a holistic view of all changes and understanding how they are interconnected. This is different than a change management portfolio or a program management office that manages a change project.

Neither is it to negate many change management tactics and tools currently used on a project basis. I believe in a structured approach, or methodology, but it should be flexible enough to adapt to the organization and project.

What in a change management methodology is good for every day management?

•Identifying and managing resistance, not just for projects.

•Routinely cascading information so there is transparency from top to bottom, and back up.

•Active and responsive feedback mechanisms, formal and informal, department by department. Don’t leave it just to employee communications.

•Regular coaching, not just for sponsors but individuals at all levels.

•Peer advocacy (change agents in a change management project) that is trusted and influential.

So what did I hear that hit home? While obtaining feedback on a project, I was told that change management was viewed negatively. Why? Because we were only there when change was happening, and the change was considered negative.

There are other implications here, but change management shouldn’t be viewed negatively if it’s doing the job of bringing people along on the adoption curve of change. When people are going through many changes serially or simultaneously, change management practices should be incorporated on a daily basis.

What about change management do you think is everyday good management?