Organizational Change Management Consulting
Get there faster with awareness, adoption, & usage of big changes.
Forrest Advisors organizational change management consulting creates sustainable measurable results with for leaders undergoing big change.
Consulting has become too theoretical and complex. It’s full of greeble that adds complexity without adding value.
Forrest Advisors helps teams simplify and accelerate results.
We equip your teams with short-term actions and long-term skills to drive forward.
- ➤ Take a Giant Leap Forward.
- ➤ Align Leadership to Front-Lines.
- ➤ Unstick Strategic Opportunities.
- ➤ Agree on Fundamental Principles.
- ➤ Problem Solve with Pragmatic Optimism.
- ➤ Figure Out What’s Really Going On.
- ➤ Build A Fact-based Future.
- ➤ Prioritize Strategic Direction.
- ➤ Create Clear Performance Measures.
Organizations today are facing ever-increasing pressures.
Forrest Advisors focuses on speed to value. Our bespoke approach is based on quick, successive actions to drive results.
We hold honesty and straight talk sacred and walk in the door with an owner-operator mindset that is accountable to getting you results.
Featured Case Studies
Closing the gap between executive goals and boots on the ground
Engaging an organizational change management consultant to enable transformation results
We’ve Built a Platform for Transformation: The Change Management Office
Not all Organizational Change Management Companies are the same.
Our approach to accelerated results:
In our organizational change management consulting approach, precision and impact are at the forefront. We don’t deploy assessments; we aim to drive change with the strengths inherent within your organization while supplementing the gaps with several key strategies. Starting with strategic alignment of leadership and being a catalyst for key, prioritized decisions, we propel organizations forward with a giant leap. Each step from there is carefully calculated to ensure maximum effectiveness in navigating the complexities of change.
Embracing agility with strength-in-execution is key to our finely tuned organizational change management consulting methodology. It goes beyond just managing change; we know we can work together to accelerate your team’s future. We understand that in today’s fast-paced and dynamic business environment, organizations need more than just incremental adjustments and outdated methodology. Business Leaders require a more dynamic strategy that positions them not only to survive but to thrive amid the intricate complexities of change.
Our commitment to change extends beyond a static blueprint.
Our blueprint is centered around championing continuous improvement and recognizing adaptability as the lifeblood of change management. No more static, old, tired methodologies. Collaboration and communication are our cornerstones, ensuring that every member of the organization is not just aligned but actively engaged in the change journey. We know that true transformation happens when everyone is empowered to contribute their ideas and insights, fostering a culture of success.
This isn’t your typical organizational change management consulting approach; it’s a holistic strategy designed to address the multifaceted challenges organizations face. We work closely with you to craft a resilient organization. By instilling a mindset that embraces perpetual growth and learning, we prepare organizations to thrive in an ever-changing world.
Stop Accepting “Good Enough” Change and Unleash Resiliency
In the face of evolving challenges, we don’t just manage change; we create a cultural mindset that embraces perpetual growth. Our approach is not about quick fixes or temporary solutions but about laying the foundation for long-term success. We understand that change can be daunting, but with the right guidance and support, organizations emerge stronger and more resilient than ever before.
By partnering with us, organizations gain access to a wealth of expertise, resources, and support tailored to their unique needs. Together, we navigate the complexities of change, turning challenges into opportunities for growth. With our guidance, organizations can confidently embrace change and chart a course towards a brighter, more prosperous future.
Our clients count on us to be experts of the transformation journey where change isn’t a hurdle, it’s a competitive advantage.
Top 10 Change Management Office Benefits
- Increased Revenue: Effective change management optimizes processes, leading to go-to-market efficiency and customer satisfaction, ultimately driving higher revenue. By streamlining operations, reducing turnaround times, and enhancing product quality, organizations can attract more customers, drive higher quality, and increase sales volumes.
- Cost Reduction: Change management helps identify and eliminate unnecessary expenses, contributing to overall cost reduction and improved financial performance. Through effective change management through process optimization, resource reallocation, and renegotiating contracts, organizations can lower their operating costs and boost profitability.
- Optimized Asset Utilization: By streamlining operations and improving resource allocation, change management ensures better utilization of workforces, maximizing productivity. This may involve implementing tracking systems, reducing waste time, and or optimizing productivity levels.
- Growth Opportunities: Well-managed change opens doors to new business opportunities, facilitating expansion and growth for the organization. Change Management is essential when entering new markets, launching innovative products or services, and pursuing strategic partnerships, as organizations diversify their revenue streams and capture untapped market opportunities.
- Enhanced Innovation: Change management fosters an environment conducive to innovation, allowing the organization to adapt to market demands and stay competitive. By encouraging creativity, fostering collaboration, and investing in research and development, organizations introduce innovative solutions that meet evolving customer needs.
- Improved Employee Engagement: A structured change management process boosts employee morale and involvement, leading to a more engaged and motivated workforce. By involving employees in decision-making processes, providing training and development opportunities, and recognizing their contributions, organizations create a positive work culture that enhances productivity and retention rates.
- Higher Customer Satisfaction: Changes implemented through effective change management positively impact products and services, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. By gathering feedback, addressing customer concerns, and continuously improving offerings, made more resilient through change management, organizations build stronger relationships with their customer base and drive repeat business.
- Increased Agility: Change management equips the organization to respond quickly to market changes and challenges, fostering agility in decision-making and execution. By establishing flexible processes, empowering employees to make timely decisions, and embracing a culture of adaptability, organizations navigate through uncertainty and capitalize on emerging opportunities.
- Risk Mitigation: Systematic change management helps identify and mitigate potential risks, safeguarding the organization from uncertainties. Throughout change management when conducting risk assessments, implementing controls, and developing contingency plans, ensures organizations minimize the impact of disruptions and protect their interests.
- Enhanced Resilience: A well-executed change management strategy strengthens the organizations ability to adapt, ensuring resilience in the face of industry shifts and market dynamics. By maintaining consistency, communicating effectively with stakeholders, and proactively managing risks, organizations build trust and credibility, enhancing their long-term viability.
Change Management Office Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is change management necessary for a business?
A: Change management is essential to ensure smooth transitions, minimize resistance, and maximize the positive impact of organizational changes on efficiency, productivity, and overall performance. Embracing change as a constant allows businesses to adapt and thrive in dynamic environments. The Change Management Office serves as the centralized operations to ensure that smooth transition and required performance is realized.
Q: How can we measure the success of change management efforts?
A: Success in change management can be gauged by key performance indicators (KPIs) such as employee satisfaction, productivity levels, and achievement of predefined business goals within the set timeframe. That clear-headed evaluation and refinement of strategies ensure sustained success in managing change.
Q: What role do leaders play in change management?
A: Leaders are pivotal in driving change by providing a clear vision, communicating effectively, and leading by example. Their support and active involvement are crucial for the successful implementation of change initiatives. Effective leadership fosters a culture of agility and innovation within the organization.
Q: How do you handle resistance to change within an organization?
A: Addressing resistance involves open communication, understanding concerns, and involving employees in the change process. Providing support, training, and showcasing the benefits of the change help in overcoming resistance and are driven out of the Change Management Office. Furthermore, acknowledging and validating employees’ feelings during transitions fosters trust and engagement.
Q: Can change management be applied to any type of business or industry?
A: Yes, change management principles are applicable across diverse industries and businesses. Whether in manufacturing, services, or technology, the fundamental principles of managing change effectively remain universally relevant because they are based in how we want to be treated as individuals and teams. Finally, customizing change management approaches to suit specific organizational contexts enhances their effectiveness and relevance.
Q: What are the key components of a successful change management plan?
A: A successful change management plan typically includes clear communication strategies, stakeholder engagement, detailed project planning, risk assessment, and ongoing evaluation and revision. All of these components work together to ensure that change initiatives are effectively implemented and embraced by the organization.
Q: How does effective change management contribute to long-term organizational goals?
A: Effective change management fosters a culture of adaptability, innovation, and continuous improvement within the organization. By successfully navigating through periods of transition and embracing change as a constant, organizations can stay ahead of the curve, seize new opportunities, and remain resilient in the face of evolving market dynamics. Ultimately, this leads to sustained growth, competitiveness, and success in the long run.
What are the Consequences of Poorly Managed Change?
- Operational Quagmire: Poorly managed change can plunge your operations into a quagmire of confusion. Without a clear plan and communication strategy, tasks become muddled, deadlines are missed, and chaos reigns supreme. The result? A tangled mess that hampers productivity and sends operational efficiency down the drain.
- Morale Meltdown: Imagine the workplace as a delicate ecosystem. Poorly managed change disrupts this balance, causing a morale meltdown. Employees, faced with uncertainty and unclear expectations, may feel disengaged, demotivated, and disconnected. A demoralized workforce can be a breeding ground for dissatisfaction, absenteeism, and high turnover.
- Customer Exodus: Change mismanagement doesn’t just ruffle feathers internally; it can drive customers away. If your operations are in disarray and service quality takes a hit, customer satisfaction nosedives. Unhappy customers are more likely to seek alternatives, leaving your business grappling with the fallout of poor change implementation.
- Financial Fallout: The financial ramifications of poorly managed change are akin to a financial earthquake. Overruns, delays, and operational inefficiencies can lead to budgetary blowouts. Additionally, customer loss and diminished productivity can take a toll on revenue streams, plunging your bottom line into a sea of red.
- Innovation Stagnation: Change is not just about overcoming challenges; it’s also about embracing innovation. Poorly managed change stifles this innovation. A culture resistant to change hampers creativity and forward-thinking, leaving your business stranded in a stagnant pool while competitors ride the waves of progress.
Leading Through Change: Essential Skills for Effective Change Management
Business today is a journey marked by constant change, and effective leadership is crucial in navigating organizations through this dynamic landscape. John Kotter literally wrote the book on organizational change. His 8-step change management model provides a comprehensive framework for leading successful transformations. Here are the 8 essential skills required for effective change management expanded:
Step 1: Create Change Urgency
Creating a sense of urgency is the foundational step in Kotter’s model. Leaders must articulate the reasons behind the need for change and foster a collective understanding of the challenges and opportunities ahead. This requires effective communication that highlights the risks of maintaining the status quo and emphasizes the benefits of embracing change. Leaders must instill a sense of urgency that motivates individuals at all levels of the organization to actively engage in the transformation process.
Essential Skills:
Communication: Clear and compelling communication is essential for conveying the urgency of change. Leaders must articulate a convincing case, employing data and storytelling to make the need for transformation relatable to all stakeholders.
Emotional Intelligence: Understanding the emotional responses of individuals to change is crucial. Leaders with high emotional intelligence can navigate and address the fears and concerns that may arise during this stage, fostering a supportive environment.
Step 2: Form a Powerful Stakeholder Coalition
Effective change management requires a strong and cohesive team of leaders who can drive the transformation forward. This coalition should represent diverse perspectives, skills, and expertise. By bringing together key influencers and decision-makers, leaders can harness collective power to steer the organization through the complexities of change.
Essential Skills:
Stakeholder Engagement: Leaders must identify and engage key stakeholders across the organization, ensuring representation from various departments and levels. Building trust and collaboration among these stakeholders is vital for a unified approach to change.
Strategic Alignment: The coalition must be aligned with the organization’s strategic objectives. Leaders need to ensure that each member understands and supports the vision for change, fostering a cohesive and committed team.
Influencing Skills: Leaders within the coalition must possess strong influencing skills to mobilize support and drive change. Building consensus and overcoming resistance are key aspects of this skill set.
Leading through change requires a combination of strategic thinking, effective communication, emotional intelligence, and collaboration. By mastering the initial steps, particularly creating urgency and forming a powerful coalition, leaders can lay the foundation for a successful change journey.
Step 3: Create a Vision for Change
Envisioning the future is not merely a step; it’s the compass that guides the entire journey. Creating a compelling vision for change involves more than just drafting a strategic plan. It’s about crafting a narrative that sparks enthusiasm and resonates with every stakeholder. To break away from conventional advice, consider this: infuse your vision with boldness. In a world saturated with incremental changes, dare to dream big. Your vision should not just be a roadmap; it should be a manifesto, a call to action that inspires a collective sense of purpose.
Essential Skills:
Strategic Thinking: Leaders need the ability to envision the future state of the organization and understand how it aligns with broader industry trends.
Creativity: Unconventional thinking requires creativity to break away from conventional norms and imagine innovative possibilities.
Inspirational Leadership: The skill to inspire and motivate others is crucial in crafting a vision that captures the collective imagination and commitment of the organization.
Unconventional Tip:
Challenge your team to think beyond industry norms. Encourage them to envision a future that disrupts the status quo. Inject audacity into your vision, because in the fast-paced digital landscape, playing it safe might be the riskiest move.
Step 4: Communicate the Vision
Communicating the vision is more than a presentation; it’s a theatrical performance. Traditional communication may involve PowerPoint slides and boardroom discussions, but in the digital age, storytelling takes center stage. Paint a vivid picture of the future, using narratives that resonate emotionally. Engage your audience by weaving in real-life scenarios and injecting humor or drama where appropriate. Communication is not just about delivering information; it’s about crafting an experience that leaves a lasting impression.
Essential Skills:
Storytelling: Crafting compelling narratives requires the skill of storytelling to make the vision relatable, engaging, and emotionally resonant.
Effective Communication: Leaders should possess strong communication skills to articulate the vision clearly and ensure that it permeates all levels of the organization.
Adaptability: The ability to tailor communication methods to diverse audiences and situations is essential for ensuring that the vision resonates with everyone.
Unconventional Tip:
Think beyond emails and memos. Utilize multimedia platforms, short films, or even virtual reality experiences to immerse your audience in the vision. Make your communication an event, something people eagerly anticipate. Transform your vision from a document into an unforgettable story that people can’t help but share.
Navigating change in the digital era requires unconventional thinking. By infusing boldness into your vision and crafting engaging narratives, you can lead your organization through the complexities of change with agility and innovation.
Step 5: Remove Obstacles
Clearing the path for change often involves tackling deeply rooted obstacles. Instead of approaching obstacles as roadblocks, view them as stepping stones to innovation. Unconventional leaders recognize that obstacles are not just challenges; they are opportunities to transform the way things operate. Foster a culture that celebrates problem-solving and views overcoming obstacles as a badge of honor. By reframing obstacles as catalysts for growth, you’ll inspire your team to embrace change rather than fear it.
Essential Skills:
Problem-Solving: Leaders must be adept at identifying obstacles and implementing creative solutions to overcome challenges.
Collaboration: Building collaborative relationships is crucial for breaking down silos and fostering a culture where teams work together to tackle obstacles.
Change Management Expertise: Leaders need expertise in change management to navigate resistance and create a culture that embraces change as an opportunity.
Unconventional Tip: Organize “obstacle Hacking” sessions. Bring together cross-functional teams to identify and creatively address obstacles. Encourage out-of-the-box thinking and reward those who propose unconventional solutions. Turning obstacle removal into a dynamic, collaborative process can ignite the innovative spirit within your organization.
Step 6: Create Short-Term Wins
In a world addicted to instant gratification, waiting for long-term results can be a daunting prospect. Instead of envisioning success solely in grandiose terms, focus on creating meaningful short-term wins. Unconventional leaders recognize that small victories build momentum and fuel enthusiasm. Identify quick wins that demonstrate the tangible benefits of change. Celebrate these victories loudly and publicly, turning them into catalysts for sustained engagement.
Essential Skills:
Project Management: Effective short-term wins require strong project management skills to set clear goals, allocate resources, and monitor progress.
Recognition and Celebration: Leaders should have the ability to recognize and celebrate achievements, fostering a positive culture of acknowledgment and appreciation.
Motivational Leadership: Motivating teams through effective leadership is vital for sustaining momentum and enthusiasm after achieving short-term wins.
Unconventional Tip: Introduce a “Wins Wall” in your workspace, both physical and virtual. Regularly showcase and celebrate short-term wins, regardless of their scale. This not only keeps the team motivated but also serves as a visual testament to the ongoing success of the transformation journey. It transforms the workplace into a dynamic space where progress is visible and celebrated.
Navigating change in the digital era requires unconventional thinking. By turning obstacles into opportunities and celebrating short-term wins, you can lead your organization through the complexities of change management with agility and innovation.
Step 7: Build on the Change Momentum
In the digital era, change is not a one-time event but a continuous evolution. Building on the change involves creating a dynamic environment where adaptation is not only welcomed but ingrained in the organizational DNA. Unconventional leaders recognize that change is not a linear process but a series of interconnected steps, each building upon the other. To truly build on the change, leaders must cultivate a mindset that embraces ongoing evolution and innovation.
Essential Skills:
Adaptability: The pace of change in the digital landscape requires leaders to be highly adaptable. They must navigate uncertainty with ease and guide their teams through continuous transformation.
Strategic Agility: Leaders should possess strategic agility, the ability to reassess and adjust strategies swiftly in response to evolving circumstances and market dynamics.
Continuous Learning: Building on change necessitates a commitment to continuous learning. Leaders should foster a culture of curiosity and a thirst for new knowledge within the organization.
Leaders recognize that building on change is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. It demands adaptability, strategic agility, and a commitment to continuous learning. By instilling these skills within the leadership team and fostering a culture that embraces change as a constant, organizations can position themselves as agile and resilient entities in the ever-evolving digital ecosystem.
Step 8: Anchor the Changes in Culture
Anchoring changes in corporate culture is not about enforcing new rules but about cultivating a shared ethos that aligns with the transformed organization. Unconventional leaders understand that culture is not static; it’s a living, breathing entity shaped by the behaviors, values, and attitudes of everyone in the organization. To anchor changes successfully, leaders must integrate them into the very fabric of the corporate culture, making them second nature to every employee.
Essential Skills:
Cultural Intelligence: Leaders need cultural intelligence to understand and respect the existing organizational culture while effectively introducing and embedding the desired changes.
Inclusive Leadership: Anchoring changes in culture requires leaders to be inclusive, ensuring that all employees feel heard, valued, and included in the transformation process.
Communication Mastery: Leaders should master communication to articulate the changes in a way that aligns with the organization’s values and resonates with employees at all levels.
Anchoring changes in corporate culture requires a delicate touch. Cultural intelligence, inclusive leadership, and communication mastery are the keys to integrating changes seamlessly into the organization’s ethos. Leaders must understand that corporate culture is a dynamic force, and by aligning it with the transformed vision, they can ensure that the changes become an intrinsic part of the organizational identity.
Leading through change demands a nuanced approach. By cultivating these essential skills and embracing the unconventional, leaders can navigate the complexities of the digital era with confidence, ensuring that change is not just managed but becomes an integral part of the organization’s DNA.