Change projects are investments – from a business point of view. You have to pay off the company; they are also associated with investment risks. Therefore, professional change management is necessary.
Acceptance Projects: Their design focus is on the cultural level, and their success manifests itself as a fundamental change in the behavior of those affected – for example, by understanding and using the introduced target agreement and performance appraisal system as a binding structural framework for an honest dialogue between managers and employees. In such projects, it is essential to take measures that create clarity early, enable permanent opportunities for feedback from the organization, and are suitable for gaining influential allies as multipliers.
Change Projects: This is the term used to describe far-reaching change processes with noticeable effects on all levels, such as those that occur in mergers or fundamental strategic realignments of a company. This is often about existential questions on all levels. For the pool of change measures, a high level of complexity is expected in the design of the change process. This must be reflected in the composition of the project management. What is needed is an experienced change manager who is aware of all facets of his task.
The Character Of A Project Often Changes
The above classification of projects facilitates an integrated view of the structural and cultural risks – regardless of whether a change process retains the characteristics of a project type in its course or its character changes in the system of the individual phases. The latter is often the case. A project can start as an innovation project and take on apparent traits of an acceptance project in the course of its development because implementing a new technical infrastructure leads to a change in the division of labor that requires a reorganization. Or a sales offensive with the character of a standard project becomes a change project because it is also intended to open up a new sales channel and intensify cooperation between office and field staff.
It is therefore essential to maintain an integrated view of the risks at each stage of change; In addition, to regularly review all measures from a profitability point of view to adjust them if necessary.
