When a company begins work on a project to implement a major change, it will often utilize the services of a change management manager. It's the job of these individuals to make sure that changes go as smoothly as possible, preventng conflicts from arising. This career can result in a person working in a wide variety of industries and on numerous types of projects. Nonetheless, the primary responsibilities of a change management manager are essentially the same. These include identifying potential problems relating to changes, developing strategies to handle those problems, providing guidance to managers, assisting managers and evaluating employee readiness.
To be an effective change management manager, an individual's first duty usually involves identifying potential problems that could result from company change. For example, if a company is planning on installing new software to its computers, the change management manager would need to determine what types of obstacles employees might face when adapting to the new software. Employees may experience confusion, have difficulty navigating through the program or be reluctant to switch from the old software program.
Once he has pinpointed some potential problems, it's the change management manager's responsibility to develop strategies to handle those problems. For example, he may create a training program that acclimates employees to the new software program. He may also select a few employees to undergo in-depth training on the software in order to instruct other employees. The strategy that a change management manager develops can vary considerably from business to business, and must address the unique change issues of each company.
After he has developed some effective strategies, he will typically provide guidance to company managers. Since the managers will need to assist employees, it's imperative that those individuals thoroughly comprehend the new changes. In the case of a new software program, a change management manager may hold a meeting and provide managers with a tutorial before employees begin the training program. Along with this, he will usually provide assistance to managers during the initial phases of change implementation. This practice should make the process go smoothly and gradually get everyone on track.
Evaluating employee readiness is an additional aspect of being a change management manager. For example, he may create a test or questionnaire to determine how well employees understand the new software program. If he feels that the majority of employees comprehend it and are prepared, his job is basically done. Otherwise, he may have to provide additional instruction to certain employees or develop a different strategy.