In my current role, I am a Program Manager and Change Lead for a digital transformation. Two jobs ago, I was heading up an Agile Transformation and it was mainly about change management. It would seem that most large projects and transformations have an overlaying change management program. Perhaps we should be qualified in both disciplines? Saving Changes...
LORI WILSONRETIRED - Technical Project Manager| RETIRED - LifePoint HealthClarkston, Wa, United States
Hello Sante: Change management and project management are very closely related/intertwined and enhanced change management skills you bring to project management are a wonderful asset.
Hello Sante: Change management and project management are very closely related/intertwined and enhanced change management skills you bring to project management are a wonderful asset.
Hi Lori, I totally agree. Saving Changes...
Dmitri KozlovskiProject Manager| FDAParsippany, Nj, United States
So my thought on this is that ANY project (being a temporary endeavor) probably was chartered in a response to a need for a change in something (be it a product, process etc.). So, empirically speaking, project managers are leading SOME sort of change/transformation, and thus can be considered change managers.
And, I guess, from that standpoint, an individual could make a decision whether they want to be formally certified as both PM and a Change Management professional (mayhaps, a new cert from PMI?), if desired.
Or one can adopt my theory above and promote oneself as a CM, again, if desired.
Happy to hear your thoughts.
...
2 replies by Kiron Bondale and Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
Apr 02, 2020 10:48 AM
Kiron Bondale
...
On smaller projects, having a PM who has knowledge of CM principles and common models is helpful but on larger, more complex transformations, I'd want a dedicated CM to work with the PM and sponsor to focus on the CM strategy, planning and execution.
Kiron
Apr 02, 2020 5:30 PM
Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
...
My thoughts exactly Dmitri. I believe with the right experience and qualifications, it really is an interchangeable position.
So my thought on this is that ANY project (being a temporary endeavor) probably was chartered in a response to a need for a change in something (be it a product, process etc.). So, empirically speaking, project managers are leading SOME sort of change/transformation, and thus can be considered change managers.
And, I guess, from that standpoint, an individual could make a decision whether they want to be formally certified as both PM and a Change Management professional (mayhaps, a new cert from PMI?), if desired.
Or one can adopt my theory above and promote oneself as a CM, again, if desired.
Happy to hear your thoughts.
On smaller projects, having a PM who has knowledge of CM principles and common models is helpful but on larger, more complex transformations, I'd want a dedicated CM to work with the PM and sponsor to focus on the CM strategy, planning and execution.
So my thought on this is that ANY project (being a temporary endeavor) probably was chartered in a response to a need for a change in something (be it a product, process etc.). So, empirically speaking, project managers are leading SOME sort of change/transformation, and thus can be considered change managers.
And, I guess, from that standpoint, an individual could make a decision whether they want to be formally certified as both PM and a Change Management professional (mayhaps, a new cert from PMI?), if desired.
Or one can adopt my theory above and promote oneself as a CM, again, if desired.
Happy to hear your thoughts.
My thoughts exactly Dmitri. I believe with the right experience and qualifications, it really is an interchangeable position. Saving Changes...
I would be against the idea of combining the project manager role with the change management role as I think it would lead to a conflict of interest as the two roles have different vested interests in the project.
The change manager in some way should play devils advocate to the the project manager and each change request should be assessed before agreement is sought and the process is put in place.
Change requests goes against the natural flow of the project plan and documentation and naturally the project manager is going to resist any change even if the customers requests the change.
Most project managers in leadership roles will instigate some push back on the change request in order to access its validity and avoid scope creep and dilution of project objectives.
In their own right the change manager will seek a balance between slowing down the project and coming closer to fully defining and realising the project requirements.
Also a change request can only be approved if their is the resources to implement the change request and this has to be fully cost and scheduled before any agreement can be reached.
Also change requests should have some level of prioritisation so as to ascertain the overall importance to the project and realising project success.
The responsibilities of change management runs counter to that of the project manager even though both the project manager and change management seek to realise project success and deliver the project objectives.
Daire
...
1 reply by Alexandre Costa
Apr 04, 2020 5:39 AM
Alexandre Costa
...
Dear Daire,
You are making some confusion about the change management role, has nothing to do to changes requests to the project ( that could affect the scope, cost, schedule or quality of the project). A change request is not appreciated by the change manager or by the project manager, but eventually by the sponsor, project committee, or what ever change escalation process is established.
What is the difference between a change manager and a project manager? This is a question often asked when it comes to defining the role of a change manager. On paper, they seem like 2 completely different roles. However, in practice, the 2 roles can sometimes overlap.
In general, a project manager is responsible for completing tasks in order to complete a project on time and to deliver targets. Now some of these tasks or the final result may require changes to ongoing processes and systems.
These changes are sometimes managed by the project manager themselves, but generally, this is where a change manager comes in. So the ultimate goal of a change manager is to prepare , envolve the people impacted by the project and by the result of the project in order to maximize the project implementation success and outcomes.
Imagine that the project is to developed an automation process to perform an activity that was before performed by 100 persons, this project will create resistance in that persons , fear of loosing the job etc... It's here where the change management is more important, manage expectations, improve the acceptance of the project, deal with the transition of these persons to other functions or prepare their exit, increase the success of the result in operations. In my perspective there are 3 important plans in change management, the change management plan, the transition plan that is a shared effort between project manager and change manager and the business implementation plan to help operations.
A change manager works to ease in said changes in the most fluid manner possible, minimizing disruption to employees and projects – making them crucial to the flow of a business.
Alexandre
Saving Changes...
Alexandre CostaScrum Master| Integer Consulting - Pictet technologiesLoures, Portugal
Apr 04, 2020 4:18 AM
Replying to Daire Guiney
...
Dear Sante,
I would be against the idea of combining the project manager role with the change management role as I think it would lead to a conflict of interest as the two roles have different vested interests in the project.
The change manager in some way should play devils advocate to the the project manager and each change request should be assessed before agreement is sought and the process is put in place.
Change requests goes against the natural flow of the project plan and documentation and naturally the project manager is going to resist any change even if the customers requests the change.
Most project managers in leadership roles will instigate some push back on the change request in order to access its validity and avoid scope creep and dilution of project objectives.
In their own right the change manager will seek a balance between slowing down the project and coming closer to fully defining and realising the project requirements.
Also a change request can only be approved if their is the resources to implement the change request and this has to be fully cost and scheduled before any agreement can be reached.
Also change requests should have some level of prioritisation so as to ascertain the overall importance to the project and realising project success.
The responsibilities of change management runs counter to that of the project manager even though both the project manager and change management seek to realise project success and deliver the project objectives.
Daire
Dear Daire,
You are making some confusion about the change management role, has nothing to do to changes requests to the project ( that could affect the scope, cost, schedule or quality of the project). A change request is not appreciated by the change manager or by the project manager, but eventually by the sponsor, project committee, or what ever change escalation process is established.
What is the difference between a change manager and a project manager? This is a question often asked when it comes to defining the role of a change manager. On paper, they seem like 2 completely different roles. However, in practice, the 2 roles can sometimes overlap.
In general, a project manager is responsible for completing tasks in order to complete a project on time and to deliver targets. Now some of these tasks or the final result may require changes to ongoing processes and systems.
These changes are sometimes managed by the project manager themselves, but generally, this is where a change manager comes in. So the ultimate goal of a change manager is to prepare , envolve the people impacted by the project and by the result of the project in order to maximize the project implementation success and outcomes.
Imagine that the project is to developed an automation process to perform an activity that was before performed by 100 persons, this project will create resistance in that persons , fear of loosing the job etc... It's here where the change management is more important, manage expectations, improve the acceptance of the project, deal with the transition of these persons to other functions or prepare their exit, increase the success of the result in operations. In my perspective there are 3 important plans in change management, the change management plan, the transition plan that is a shared effort between project manager and change manager and the business implementation plan to help operations.
A change manager works to ease in said changes in the most fluid manner possible, minimizing disruption to employees and projects – making them crucial to the flow of a business.
Alexandre
...
1 reply by Daire Guiney
Apr 04, 2020 6:03 AM
Daire Guiney
...
Dear Alexandre.
I think this is a question of semantics - Managing change on a project and change management of a project.
The change management that you are referring to is the people side of implementing a project while the change management I was referring to is the process side of change on a project.
In my humble opinion I believe this is where the Human Resource Department has slacked off in recent years and outsourced a lot of their roles, responsibilities and power within an organistion.
Any change to do with the way a person conducts their work should come through the HR department and not an external contractor or a separate role from that of the HR department.
It is the HR department function to implement the personnel strategy of an organisation that the Board of Directors or senior management have agreed upon.
In recent times HR department have been gutted with hiring being done by external contractor, software being hosted by external contractor, training being done by external contractors and now strategy and implementation and certfication of change within an organisation is being done by external contractors.
If you have everybody working from home, with more and more service by outsourced what are you going to be left with?
To answer your original question I do not think it is the job of a project manager, who is not a functional manager, to be the instigator of change within a organisation as a project is a output of the business strategy of an organisation and the project manager is the implementor not the decision maker of this change.
You are making some confusion about the change management role, has nothing to do to changes requests to the project ( that could affect the scope, cost, schedule or quality of the project). A change request is not appreciated by the change manager or by the project manager, but eventually by the sponsor, project committee, or what ever change escalation process is established.
What is the difference between a change manager and a project manager? This is a question often asked when it comes to defining the role of a change manager. On paper, they seem like 2 completely different roles. However, in practice, the 2 roles can sometimes overlap.
In general, a project manager is responsible for completing tasks in order to complete a project on time and to deliver targets. Now some of these tasks or the final result may require changes to ongoing processes and systems.
These changes are sometimes managed by the project manager themselves, but generally, this is where a change manager comes in. So the ultimate goal of a change manager is to prepare , envolve the people impacted by the project and by the result of the project in order to maximize the project implementation success and outcomes.
Imagine that the project is to developed an automation process to perform an activity that was before performed by 100 persons, this project will create resistance in that persons , fear of loosing the job etc... It's here where the change management is more important, manage expectations, improve the acceptance of the project, deal with the transition of these persons to other functions or prepare their exit, increase the success of the result in operations. In my perspective there are 3 important plans in change management, the change management plan, the transition plan that is a shared effort between project manager and change manager and the business implementation plan to help operations.
A change manager works to ease in said changes in the most fluid manner possible, minimizing disruption to employees and projects – making them crucial to the flow of a business.
Alexandre
Dear Alexandre.
I think this is a question of semantics - Managing change on a project and change management of a project.
The change management that you are referring to is the people side of implementing a project while the change management I was referring to is the process side of change on a project.
In my humble opinion I believe this is where the Human Resource Department has slacked off in recent years and outsourced a lot of their roles, responsibilities and power within an organistion.
Any change to do with the way a person conducts their work should come through the HR department and not an external contractor or a separate role from that of the HR department.
It is the HR department function to implement the personnel strategy of an organisation that the Board of Directors or senior management have agreed upon.
In recent times HR department have been gutted with hiring being done by external contractor, software being hosted by external contractor, training being done by external contractors and now strategy and implementation and certfication of change within an organisation is being done by external contractors.
If you have everybody working from home, with more and more service by outsourced what are you going to be left with?
To answer your original question I do not think it is the job of a project manager, who is not a functional manager, to be the instigator of change within a organisation as a project is a output of the business strategy of an organisation and the project manager is the implementor not the decision maker of this change.
I do handle change requests, but as the project manager, not the change manager. Having a dual role (which I do) highlights the clear distinction between the two. Saving Changes...
Majed Abdeen MSc, PMP, DASM, PMI-ACP, PMO-CP Business Agility Mentor & Consultant| Eya Management & IT ConsultantsAmman, Jordan
Change agents initiate, implement, and manage change in organisations (Caldwell, 2003, p. 131); they are often Project Managers, as frequently projects are undertaken to deliver organisational change, and the processes of both Change Management and Project Management have many similarities (Caldwell, 2003, p. 137). Other views differ; some observe that change is not a project, and should not be considered as such (Pflaeging, 2018, p. 191).
References
Caldwell, R., 2003. Models of Change Agency: a Fourfold Classification. British Journal of Management, 14(1), p. 131–142.
Pflaeging, N., 2018. Change is more like adding milk to coffee. In: M. d. l. Maza & C. Silas, eds. Best Agile Articles of 2017. USA: CEC, pp. 191-196.
