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If you have ever attended one of my classes or heard me speak at an event, one of the things you will consistently hear is my mantra about practice. In ECM, BPM, ERM or whatever segment you wish to discuss, the bottom line is you cannot drop technology into place and leave it. The introduction of technology will inherently bring about change. The changes you make, require commitment from all levels of the organization to make this a way of life in the organization and have it become a standard practice that emphasizes continuous improvement to refine and enhance what you are doing.

We humans have a tendency to move toward improvement. I have never met anyone yet who wakes up in the morning with the focus on being the worst they can be at anything. We tend to get up each day and work to be better if not the best at what we do. It is in our nature to improve so it stands to reason that given an opportunity, employees will embrace the prospect of change provided it is presented in a non-threatening way. When we introduce technology and change into the workplace, we must also present the ongoing commitment required to continue down the road to perfection. (I know, even Six Sigma practitioners will tell you there is no such thing as perfection but it should be a goal.)

Every successful project I have seen began with the inclusion of someone from the user community as a member of the project team and a strong communication plan designed to inform and motivate the organization. The initial project launch not only details the goals and changes that will take place but also emphasizes the need for continuous analysis, refinement and implementation of improved ways of working with technology and process, the idea being one of setting proper expectations from the beginning.

In my view, the days of mushroom management where you keep employees in the dark, feed them what you want them to hear and hope they will grow are gone. This is the age of proactive involvement where employees are given the opportunity to provide input that will help drive and manage change for the betterment of the organization. It is a time of responsiveness to changing business landscapes and economic uncertainty. Companies who have learned to adapt are the ones who weather these changes best and a good approach to leverage is one where you:

• Assess where you are and want to be in the future
• Plan on what it will take to get there in every aspect from people and process to technology
• Act on the plan and implement the changes needed to achieve your goals
• Improve upon what you implemented through continuous analysis and refinement

If practice makes perfect, everything we do must focus on becoming the best we can possibly be at what we do as individuals and as an organization in whole.

What say you? How do you manage change and strive to be the best? Do you have a story to tell? I want to hear from you.