4 Key Analytical Tools for Change Management

Change management processes make use of various tools. There are three general types: strategic, analytical and planning. A previous post dealt with strategic change management tools. Analytical tools for change management is the subject of this one.

Regardless of the change management consultant or the change management process there will be common tools. They might have different names or slight variations. It is like cooking. Recipes vary. Tools are similar.

Role of Analytical Tools for Change Management

Analytical tools for change management are one of three general types of change management tools.

Strategic tools focus on the start of the change effort. They deal with researching, assessing and strategizing. Analytical tools help picture, quantify and measure the change. They are more dynamic than strategic and planning tools are.

Using a car as an analogy, strategic tools design it. Planning tools are the engine and other moving parts that move it forward. Analytical tools are the gauges that tell what is happening.

1. Flowchart

The power of this tool is to help picture the status of change at various points. It is typically used in changes to process, reporting, logistics and communications. Flowcharts have strategic uses too such as reorgs. In tandem with network mapping, they can show relational changes too.

2. Force Field Analysis

This analytical tool assesses the forces driving and retarding change. That includes objective and pragmatic ones. It also includes subjective, cultural and political ones. It is dynamic. It can show the current status of these forces at any point in the change.

3. Metrics

Metrics help measure change. The key is finding the right ones. These will depend on the change. They can sidetrack though. Some important forces such as morale do not lend themselves to easy, accurate metrics. People will tend to ignore these key influences as a result.

Metrics are also help the other change management tools. They are especially important to analytical tools of change management.

4. Data Collection

When choosing the metrics, it is good to look at what data collection tools there are. These include software, workflows and sensors. If the right tools are not there to collect the data for the metric, it will retard change. This tool answers questions such as how:

• Well can we track what we are monitoring?
• Much effort will it take to collect the data?
• Much will it cost?
• Long will it take to collate it?

Other Change Management Tools

Again, this post focused on analytical tools for change management. A past post dealt with the strategic ones. All change efforts will likely use some form of these tools. Change management processes that do not use many of them are suspect.

Note: Key planning change management tools will appear in a separate follow up post.