by Dawn-Marie Turner, PhD, CMC

I recently reaffirmed my belief that change management tools are not inherently valuable. That is not to say they have no value, but that their worth is dependent on the knowledge the leader applies when using them.

David Allen, author of Getting Things Done, reminded me of this in his recent blog post about time management, where he said, “the tools are neutral”. Yes, they are important, but the “secret sauce” is your focus on the system and its purpose. The same is true when it comes to organizational change. The value of any change management tool is embedded in the leadership of your organization.

Tools Alone Won't Ensure Success

Almost everyone would agree that having the right tools for the job is necessary for success. However, just like time management tools alone won’t solve your time management issues, change management tools and techniques are not enough to ensure organizational change success. Leaders must shift their thinking about how change is facilitated in their organizations and integrate an understanding of the change process into all their leadership practices.

In an age where there is an “app” for everything, it is not surprising that leaders often look at organizational change from the perspective of the tools. However, there are three potential risks when you view change from this perspective:

1. You lose sight of the intended outcome, focusing instead on getting the tools or technology implemented.
2. You place the right tool in the wrong hands, thus negating its value to your organization.
3. You compartmentalize the change from the wider context of your organization, thus limiting your ability to increase your organization’s capacity for change. Research has shown compartmentalizing the change and focusing on the tools and techniques instead of the leadership and management of the change is one reason for the high failure rate¹.

Tools + Knowldege of Change Process = Success 

I absolutely believe that having the right tools in your tool kit will help you be more successful. But without a commitment to understanding the beliefs and assumptions that drive change in your organization, and a shift in thinking that builds leaders' knowledge of the change process, those same tools can be downright dangerous.

So, as you begin to build your organizational change tool kit, here are three things you can do to help ensure that it will be effective:

1. Build your leaders’ knowledge and understanding of change and its processes.
2. Help leaders integrate that knowledge into all aspects of their leadership practices.
3. Adopt change management tools and techniques that allow your leaders to apply their knowledge of the change process to all change in your organization.

Developing the knowledge to build an organizational change tool kit and the skills to use it effectively will take time and commitment but it will be well worth the effort.

¹Karp, T. & Helgo, T. (2008). From change management to change leadership: embracing chaotic change in public service organizations. Journal of Organizational Change Management 8(1), 82-96.

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To build leaders' knowledge of change and its processes: Living and Leading Change (change leadership program)