Article
Achieve greater change success with an early organizational readiness assessment
March 5, 2024 · Authored by Jessica Drexler, Kate Hernandez
In the push for companies to digitize their operations, the demand for organizational change management to support ongoing transformation efforts has never been greater. And with research indicating a significant drop in employees’ support for change initiatives, from 74% in 2016 to just 38% in 2022 [1] , organizations are going to have to get intentional in their efforts to combat resistance and overcome the fatigue that accompanies change saturation.
Without the proper vision, alignment of priorities and support before launching a change initiative, companies open themselves up to a myriad of risks including employee confusion and disengagement that can result in ineffectiveness and worse, resistance.
To properly understand potential risk to your company’s successful transformation, it’s important to begin any change initiative with an organizational readiness assessment. The sooner you identify underlying organizational barriers to change, the sooner you can begin mitigating risks to your success.
What is organizational readiness?
Organizational readiness refers to the overall preparedness of a company and its people to successfully navigate a change and considers factors such as leadership commitment, employee engagement, available resources and a solid business case for change that supports the company’s strategic priorities.
While change readiness looks at the preparedness of individuals and teams, organizational readiness looks at the big-picture ability to embrace, invest in and navigate change based on factors inherent to the company.
Establishing new routines, fostering belief and cultivating trust in the positive impacts of your organizational change go beyond merely communicating the upcoming change; it involves seeking genuine support and fostering a desire for change across your company.
What are the benefits of an early organizational readiness assessment?
By assessing readiness for a change or transformation early, leaders can identify and understand the root causes of potential roadblocks that may impede the initiative’s success. More importantly, it provides the time and flexibility needed to analyze and mitigate any risks at their core, devise and align effective strategies and implement necessary adjustments before the transformation gains momentum and focus shifts to the execution requirements.
The opportunity to adapt the change strategy based on organizational needs is important for refining communication plans, training programs and support mechanisms. This ensures that the messaging is clear and resonates with where the workforce is currently in their readiness to change, addressing concerns and uncertainties uncovered during the assessment. Effective communication and employee engagement is essential for garnering support, building understanding and fostering a positive attitude towards incoming changes.
For example, if a company were to identify a lack of effective communication during the assessment, they can get ahead of the potential barrier by implementing new systems and processes that facilitate more open, transparent and timely communication. The goal is to establish a framework that not only addresses current limitations but also aligns with the specific needs and preferences of the workforce. This will help the company continue to evolve its communication strategy in real-time as they make adjustments based on feedback received – ultimately optimizing the overall change experience for employees and increasing the effectiveness of change management efforts.
Waiting to address unforeseen obstacles until the change is already in motion can reduce confidence and lead to significant challenges, delays or even derail the entire transformation effort as by then, the company has already invested considerable resources, time and effort, making it significantly more difficult to implement corrective measures. But with an early readiness assessment companies are empowered to navigate change with foresight, agility and a higher likelihood of achieving sustainable success, fostering a more resilient and adaptive approach to change management.
When should your organization get started assessing organizational readiness?
Companies should initiate an organizational readiness assessment at the outset of formulating strategic initiatives or when selecting new technology. It’s crucial that you engage your workforce in the strategic planning process as they bring valuable insights and perspectives that are essential for understanding the practical implications of the change initiative.
