In this Q&A podcast, I talk to change management expert and consultant Peggy Greenberg, who has more than 30 years of experience in staff and organization development.  Prior to starting her own business, Peggy was the director of the Office of Education and Training for the United States Senate. Peggy’s clients have included the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Senate, and the City of Alexandria, to name a few. Peggy also facilitates the ATD Change Management Certificate. 

Peggy explains that in today’s business climate, organizations need to be extremely nimble. As a result, they need to be able to change (quickly and effectively) to meet increasing demands and expectations of customers and partners. Unfortunately, not every organization has the skills required to manage this sort of change successfully. 

The most common mistake Peggy sees organizations make is failing to recognize that change is a process—not an event, not a date on the calendar. To succeed in this change process, organizations must also recognize the “people aspect” of change and understand the impact that change has on an organization’s workforce and how people do their work day-to-day. In essence, organizations should not ignore that change is about more than behaviors, there also is an emotional component. 

To help with this process, Peggy recommends that organizations follow a six-step change model, which is covered extensively in the Change Management Certificate program.   

• Step 1: Challenge the current state.

• Step 2: Harmonize and align leadership.

• Step 3: Activate commitment.

• Step 4: Nurture and formalize design.

• Step 5: Guide implementation.

• Step 6: Evaluate and institutionalize the change. 

Peggy reminds listeners that although the change model is presented in a linear fashion, that isn’t always the case when applying it to an actual change management situation. Sometimes organizations will have to readdress certain steps throughout the change implementation. 

To learn more about each element of the six-step change model and how to better execute and manage change, listen to the  podcast. And be sure to join Peggy for an upcoming ATD Change Management Certificate program.