How to successfully manage change in an organization?

Imagine you work for a company that has just announced a major reorganization. Employees are worried, and management is looking for ways to calm the situation and successfully implement the changes. What would you do? You know how we sometimes feel when change hits us at work? Like someone has pulled the ground out from under our feet! Don't worry, we're all in the same boat when it comes to organizational changes. Let's go through some useful tips on how to meet these changes prepared and turn them into an opportunity for growth!

Why Are Changes Sometimes So Difficult?

Most of us love our comfort zone. When we hear the word "change," our first thought is often: "Uh oh, what now?" That's completely normal! Research shows that as many as 66% of employees resist change, creating significant barriers to organizational progress.

Change management has become one of the key competencies of modern companies. An organization's ability to efficiently adapt to new conditions and implement changes is crucial to its success.

Understanding the Nature of Organizational Change

Organizational change represents a constant in every enterprise, and a company's success depends on how well it manages these changes. Changes can be driven by various factors - internal ones such as leadership, innovation, technology and organizational strategy, or external ones such as market changes, legal-economic connections and regulations.

Changes in organizations can be classified in several ways:

• Evolutionary changes - gradual and continuous
• Revolutionary changes - radical transformations
• Planned changes - consciously initiated and structured
• Unplanned changes - arising as a response to external pressures

What Do the Numbers Tell Us?

Here's something that might surprise you - we've all heard that famous statistic that 70% of changes fail. But research of 200 case studies shows a different picture: 72.5% were actually successful! This means that when changes are done carefully and with the right approach, success is much more likely than we think.

The key is in the approach; organizations that excellently manage change achieve 93% success in reaching their goals, while those with poor change management achieve only 15% success. That's a huge difference that shows how important the approach really is!

Key Steps for Successful Change Management

Successful change management requires a structured approach that begins with recognizing the need through various indicators and continuous awareness of the organization's operations.

Planning and communication represent the foundation of successful changes. Open communication eliminates uncertainty, while management must consider benefits for the organization, motivating employees and overcoming resistance. Detailed planning includes an action plan with clearly assigned roles, communication strategies and timeframes.

Implementation and consolidation execute the planned process through training, education and resistance resolution. It's important to track progress through key indicators and celebrate small victories to maintain motivation. Consolidation ensures complete integration of change into organizational culture.

Let's Accept That Not Everything Will Go Smoothly

Every change has its ups and downs. That's normal! When we encounter an obstacle, it's important not to give up, but to find a solution together. Maybe we didn't anticipate some challenge or overestimated the speed at which we can adapt. No problem! Let's pause, adjust the plan and move forward.

We learn from every step. Every change is an opportunity for learning. What worked well? What would we do differently next time? These lessons are invaluable for our organization's future.

Managing Resistance

Resistance is a natural response that arises due to fear of losing position, lack of trust, uncertainty about the future and feelings of loss of control. Managing resistance means mitigating it through recognizing reasons, providing information, motivating suggestions, early employee involvement and continuous support during transition.

Successful change management combines clear planning, open communication, active involvement of all participants and patient resistance resolution as an investment in long-term organizational culture.

Digital Transformation - New Reality

When we talk about digital changes, the situation is even more complex. 89% of large global companies have digital and AI transformation underway, and global spending on digital transformation reached over $809 billion in 2024.

Modern organizations use various tools for efficient change management:

• Problem tracking systems
• Change management platforms
• Communication and collaboration tools
• Documentation management systems

What's interesting is that companies adopting digital transformation have captured only 31% of expected revenue increases and 25% of expected cost savings. This shows there's still room for improvement in how we approach digital changes.

How Do We Know We've Succeeded?

50% of leaders admit they don't know whether recent changes in their organizations were successful, showing the need for better ways of measuring change success.

A change is considered successfully implemented if the organization has moved from the current state to the future state, if the organization's functioning in the new state has met expectations and there are no excessive consequences for the organization or employees.

Looking Forward with Optimism

When we successfully go through one change, the next one will be easier. We build a culture where changes are seen as opportunities, not threats. They are like seasons - inevitable and necessary for growth. Sometimes they'll be challenging, but with the right approach, open communication and mutual support, we can turn them into an opportunity to create a better, stronger and more connected organization. With this knowledge and the right approach, your next change could be exactly the one that leads your organization to new heights!

Need Support in Change Management?

If you want your organization to successfully go through changes, digital transformation or are looking for expert advice in the field of business consulting, accounting and process optimization, contact the HLB Adria team. Our experts help organizations of all sizes to easily manage changes and achieve their goals. Contact us and together let's build a resilient, agile and successful future for your organization.