The Change Catalyst

Chapter 16Clear Governance and Thorough Planning

‘Governance must not only be clear, it must also be appropriate.’

clear governance structure, transparent decision- making processes and thorough planning are the necessary infrastructure for the instigation of sustainable change.

Successful change requires:

1. A ‘Change Catalyst’
2. Clarity of what and why
3. Implications understood
4. Outcomes focus
5. Pause for reflection
6. Governance and planning
7. Genuine engagement
8. Emotional triggers
9. Strong leadership
10. A change-ready culture

Clear Governance

Good governance is simply clarity on the roles required, who is accountable for what (the decision-makers), who is responsible for what (those actually doing the work) and how decisions are made.

Investing time upfront to ensure clarity on these four points will pay rich dividends. I have seen too many projects that have rushed through this step and have come to regret it. Lack of clarity on who is accountable has resulted in decisions being delayed or made by people without the authority to do so. I have seen projects take on a life of their own due to the fact that it is unclear who should be making which decision.

Project/programme roles

Traditional project roles, as recommended by renowned project management methodologies such as PRINCE2, are sound – and yet, they are inadequate for, as we know, 88% of change projects fail. In my experience, a crucial role is missing – that of the Change Catalyst.

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