Change Management or Change Facilitation?

Change Management or Change Facilitation? by Greg Jenkins

What term is most appropriate? Are we managing or facilitating change?

It’s time to get the definitions right. Change Management is ubiquitous and is used to describe all sorts of change situations. There are numerous definitions of change management whereas change facilitation is a relatively new term encompassing a diverse set of tools’ that have emerged in the past decade. Many of these tools may have already been used from time to time within a change management context.

Whilst change management has been the dominant paradigm ample evidence points towards resultant high levels of corporate pain. Everyone in corporate life has stories about failures in change management. It is widely believed that a majority of change management processes either fail or fail or significantly blow out in cost and time.

Change Facilitation on the other hand works on a ‘low pain’ formula through building trust and engaging at all levels. Change facilitation involves giving up ‘corporate ego’, which probably explains why it is not yet mainstream.

It is now time to separate change management and change facilitation and highlight the differences.

Change Management is a top down approach to driving strategy with an expectation of clear measurable results within tight manageable boundaries in a clear timeframe. 13 definitions of Change Management

Change Facilitation enables sustainable change where boundaries are blurred or open, the timeframe is imprecise, there are broad qualitative measures, and outcomes are unconscious and all stakeholders both inside and outside the organisation are involved.

Change facilitation enables all stakeholders to be engaged regardless of position, education or experience where the person least likely may contribute the idea that will save or make millions.

Leaders and change practitioners need to work out whether Change Management or Change Facilitation tools are the most appropriate in their circumstances.

To request an information sheet ‘The Six Pillars of Change Facilitation’ email info@tincanlearning.com.