Part II: Assessment and Planning
This section covers the critical assessment and planning activities that must occur before executing organizational change management activities. Thorough assessment and planning significantly increase the probability of change success.
Overview
Effective OCM begins long before any communication or training takes place. This section guides you through:
- Chapter 4: Change Readiness Assessment - Evaluating organizational capacity and willingness to change
- Chapter 5: Stakeholder Analysis and Engagement - Identifying, analyzing, and planning engagement with stakeholders
- Chapter 6: Change Impact Assessment - Understanding how change affects people, processes, and systems
- Chapter 7: OCM Strategy and Planning - Developing comprehensive OCM plans aligned with project timelines
Why Assessment Matters
Organizations that skip or shortcut assessment activities frequently encounter:
- Unexpected resistance from stakeholder groups they didn’t identify
- Change saturation that derails initiatives
- Insufficient resources allocated to OCM activities
- Misaligned messaging that fails to resonate with audiences
- Training that doesn’t address actual skill gaps
Prerequisites
Before beginning this section, ensure you have completed Part I: Foundations, particularly the understanding of:
- The ADKAR model and how individuals move through change
- The 8 Critical Success Factors for OCM
- The relationship between OCM and technical change management