Change management specialists have seen it before; companies hit a downturn and suddenly even previously long-term and well-supported change programmes get cut back. At this, they shrug, since it is just a fact of business life. But this time they are working to help clients understand that strategically thought-through pruning will leave them better-placed.
Over time, change management programmes, focusing on the “people” aspects of big corporate upheavals, have gone from fuzzy concepts through being something of a bolt-on afterthought to becoming central to strategic planning of a corporate change, be it strategic or even physical. But still companies believe they are not getting it right.
