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The Process of Implementation Part One
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Free Feature Article |
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Now the real work begins.
Up until now you may have been involved in an interesting intellectual and analytical exercise. The development of an action plan has enabled you to crystallize your thoughts and put some substance around your ideas.
However, all of that will count for little if you do not take the next step and implement.
In my experience implementation is the most talked about and least understood action in management. The ‘just do it’ approach is popular and suggests that there is nothing much to implementation – go on – just do it
Unfortunately it is not that easy. Implementation of anything, whether that is wholesale organization change or modifying personal habit, is hard. Just look at the global industry built around getting people to lose weight and exercise. Implementation is the toughest task of all.
Here is the reason why: Implementation is tough because not only do you need to start doing something new but you also need to stop doing something old.
Many of us find this tough at a personal level but when you include the mix of different personalities, different viewpoints and different agendas, when implementing across an organization, the job just got a whole lot tougher!
Still, some people do manage to make change happen. They manage to make change stick; they manage to implement ideas and the actions that those ideas generate. The people that do this understand that implementation is a process not just an entry in a Gantt chart. My dictionary defines implementation as ‘to put into practical effect’. However, this tells us little of the process and issues faced.
The Process of Implementation
Implementation involves two key activities:
Problem solving is usually a term associated with an analytical process but it is also a prime element of implementation. This is because ‘the plan’ will not be perfect. In fact, if it were perfect you would have spent far too much time planning and not enough time taking advantage of your opportunities. This is a major issue that can prevent companies going forward – they get stuck in the planning stage.
Often companies try to anticipate every hurdle and every issue and have a plan that will require no correction when commenced – it must work first time. In any journey there will always be a need to make course corrections.
Of course the other extreme is the ‘cowboy’ with an idea and no plan.
Problem solving is required as you encounter hurdles and issues that you had not considered and that will sometimes stop the team from getting on with the new action. This is not a criticism of your thinking; I am just trying to manage your expectations.
As a sweeping statement I think that it is also fair to say that people hate uncertainty. In any process change the old way may not have provided the outcome you want but people knew what they were getting. There was generally little uncertainty. Doing something new involves uncertainty and if we are unsure of what to do or what is required then the uncertainty is doubled.
The problems that arise in implementation drive uncertainty and therefore require solving in order to lessen that uncertainty. In any implementation expect problems. Expect issue to arise that you had not thought of. Expect issues to arise that you had thought of but had not resolved. You can also expect some things that you thought might be issues to not be issues at all!
In any case, the point is that you will need to solve problems if you want to succeed. Implementation is not just a matter of saying ‘There it is, just go do it’. Accept this and get on with the job. The alternative is to stop and revert to the existing practice. This is easy and comfortable for some but hardly progressive. No thank you.
The other way to limit uncertainty is with information. This is a key part of change management This is covered in Part 2.
About The Author
Phillip Slater is the author of the book A New Strategy for Continuous Improvement. For more information visit his website at http://www.InitiateAction.com.
Note: You are welcome to reprint this article online on the condition that it remains complete and unaltered (including the ‘About the author’ info at the end) and you send a reprint to enquiries@InitiateAction.com |
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Initiate Action Pty Ltd 49 Vida Street, Aberfeldie Vic 3040 Australia phone: +61 3 9331 3181 fax: +61 3 9331 3180 USA and Canada Free Call 800-581-7678
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