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November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Embracing Change: Overcoming “We’ve Always Done It That Way”
Pam Miller : : Senior Trainer : : IOFM
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Changes aren’t Permanent, but Change is
• Constantly spoken by a team
member as we implemented new
point of sale computers in over 100
lumberyards
• And he was and is right – change is a constant
• Of course, he also carefully checked out the paint job on every plane we boarded because he insisted that the paint held up the plane…
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
And with all the Technologies Available to Improve AP Processes
• AP departments everywhere are either in the process of changing
• Or looking for ways to get permission and funds to make significant changes
• Because we know that the old manual ways of performing AP tasks are no longer a good fit for the online, always connected world we now live and work in
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
But…there are (Probably) 2 Kinds of Employees in your AP Department
Those who love change
And those who hate change
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
The Challenge • Figuring out how to change the ratio of
change haters to change lovers
– Or at least to change acceptors
• So that the changes are actually
successfully accomplished
• Failure is not an option
– Nor do we want to go over (a realistic) budget and past the (realistic) deadline
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Overcoming the “We’ve Always Done it that Way” Syndrome
• Catherine DeVrye puts it this way:
– “The 6 most expensive words in business are: ‘We’ve always done it that way.’”
• Now who is she and how does she know what goes on in my organization?
– She is a former IBM executive in Australia
(see, this is an international syndrome),
an author, and motivational speaker
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Change vs. No Change
• She’s right – and note that she is looking at the syndrome from a dollars and cents point of view!
• The cost of not changing can be greater than the cost of changing
• We don’t always think of it this way but we should. – Too often we focus on the
frustration those 6 works
engender
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
First Step in Meeting the Challenge: Identifying Why People Resist Change
• There are many reasons and many lists – just ask Mr. Google, “Why do people resist change?”
• In AP cert training we boil it down to 3 things
– Self-interest, fear of the unknown, and suspicion
• But let’s dig a little deeper to identify the most common reasons
• So we can formulate responses
that address employees’ concerns
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Loss of Control • Let’s face it, many AP people are “control freaks”
– And proud of it!
• And even those who are not
have established ways of doing
things
• And relationships with others that can be,
• Make that, are likely to be, affected by the change
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Loss of Face (or Status)
• Many of us identify with our jobs
• Some folks in AP may be experts in the
current systems and/or methods
– People respect and rely on their knowledge
– They get the calls that start out, “I don’t know who to ask, but…
• Changes can mean loss of that expertise
• And, being so closely associated with systems and/or methods that are being discarded may be seen as a negative judgment on them (it’s not but they may think it is)
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Uncertainty/Surprises/Fear of the Unknown • Change introduces uncertainty
• While no one can foretell the future or even what will happen next Friday
• We all expect our work day and work week to follow a certain pattern
• Change upsets those patterns
• Plus, there is the additional basic
concern – will it work?
– As well as what we are doing now
– Or at all
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Everything seems Different • We are all creatures of habit – even if we don’t
think we are
• We perform many daily tasks
on auto pilot
• Even minor changes in screens or keystrokes can make every thing seem strange and broken
– During one upgrade Oracle financials swapped the function of the tab and enter keys and chaos ensued
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Concerns about Competence • Not just for the experts, but for everyone
• People know how to do things now
• Many question their ability to learn
the new methods, and especially new
software
• In this day and age everyone worries
about their skills becoming obsolete – It’s a valid concern
– Because so many familiar jobs are truly going away
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Sometimes the Threat is Real • Most likely the powers that be agreed to fund
the AP project with the understanding that fewer staffers would be needed
– Less headcount is always a major selling point
• And that means that a successful implementation will result in fewer
people working in AP
plain and simple
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
More Work • Certainly during the testing and
implementation phases there is more work
• Someone has to do the testing
– Which can/should be time consuming
• Sometimes there are real showstoppers for AP
– That to the techies are just a little problem that you can easily fix
• Like the inability to transfer all the remittance sites across all the companies so AP has to manually add them before any invoices can be entered...
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
More Work, continued • And sometimes new methods and/or systems that are
meant to streamline processes don’t quite measure up
– Especially if the changes being made to AP are part of a larger change that is focused on another department
– The project was imagined and configured
to fit their needs, not AP’s
• And AP must, somehow, figure out how
to get their job done
–Not always an easy task
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Ripple Effects
• Changes made in AP affect
other departments in the
organization
• And may impact other AP customers as well – vendors, for example
• These folks may not look kindly upon being forced to change and may cause disruption in addition to the disruption the change has already imposed
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Politics/Past Resentments/Suspicion
• The pressure caused by change doesn’t always bring out the best in us
– Passivity, sabotage…
• Past attempts at change may
not have gone well
• Or been abandoned part way through – have we taught our folks that they can wait out every new idea that comes along?
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Fear of Failure • On a personal level as we have seen • And on an organizational level as well
– No one wants to work hard on a project that fails – And a significant change, especially a major software
change certainly offers the opportunity for failure • Safer to continue as things are now • Yeah, yeah, we all know that sometimes failure leads to success later on • It’s a learning experience • But that doesn’t make it any easier
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Step Two: Identifying the Likely Effects of the Change
• What will day one look like?
• Day two?
• Day ninety?
• Who will be immediately impacted?
• Who else will be impacted?
• What are the long term effects likely to be?
• How far are the changes likely to stretch?
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Many Answers are Already Known • They were part of building the business case for
the change – And they include impact on staff (how many will be
left) – What tasks will go away and what new tasks will be
added – Changes in hardware required – Changes in process, forms, etc. – Changes in the AP cycle – Changes in the interface with customers – both
internal and external
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Implementation Planning • Review the business case for accuracy as you move forward with
the implementation plan and make changes accordingly
– You need a strategy for real life!
– Details, details, details!
• The implementation plan should take into
consideration the effect of the changes you are making
– Who needs to be notified of the changes and the implementation date? Who will do this? How will it be done?
– When will the forms change? Where will they be? How will the changes be announced?
– Who will notify customers of the changes? When? Is customer training required? (Internal & external customers)
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Let’s Talk Training • We tend to focus on training
on the new system and/or
processes
• But there may be other training needs as well
• Do your folks have the skills required?
• Moving a file clerk to a scanner might sound like a good solution to avoid having to lay off that file clerk – but does that person have the requisite skills to become a scanner – like keyboard skills?
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
To Implement Change Successfully, People and Salesmanship Skills are Paramount!
• Changes must be sold!
• You know this – you sold the project to those who control the purse strings
• Now it’s time to sell it to everyone else
– If you haven’t started already
• Hint – selling should begin while building the business case
–Not just to the approvers – to everyone affected
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
10 12 Tips on Managing Change that Really Work!
• Culled from the recommendations found in many articles regarding managing change
• Used by managers everywhere in many types of businesses when trying to tame the change beast
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Gain Support • From all levels of the organization
• Communication is key
• A project sponsor can help smooth over ruffled feathers – Especially when changes in AP
affect other departments and/or
vendors
– You need someone to have your back
– Your sponsor may become apparent during the building the business case phase
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Plan, Plan, and Plan some More
• Plan carefully and thoroughly to maximize chances of success
• Have a backup plan or three – Be prepared for things to go wrong
because they will
• Take advantage of the knowledge of your software vendor – Don’t reinvent the wheel – just tailor their
experiences to your needs
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Consider Timing Carefully • Avoid coinciding the effective date or “go-live” date
with already high stress times
– Such as year-end, month-or period-end
– Or the busiest week of the month.
• Be brave – if the timeline gets crunched, which it will, don’t be afraid to be the one who says,
– We can’t shorten the testing time
– We can’t shorten the training time
– Even if it means moving the go-live date
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate – Early and Often
• The most important thing to do
• Communication directly addresses several of the fears regarding change that people have – Loss of face or status
– Uncertainty, surprise, and fear of the unknown
– Sometimes the threat is real
– Ripple effects
– Politics, past resentments, suspicion
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
The Communication Must be Real and Honest
• Trust is critical
• And don’t get so busy talking that you forget an important part of communication is listening
• Listen to team members concerns – Really listen and hear what are saying
– Many of their concerns are valid
– And need to be addressed
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Put a Positive Spin on the Changes • Staffers emulate their leaders
• There are good things coming,
really…. tell the story
– The fields of ambrosia
• And be enthusiastic
• But realistically so
– Remember the communication must be real and honest
• It is important to acknowledge that change is difficult
– But it can be fun, too!
• Make it so – food, silly change games, etc.
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Take Advantage of Social Pressure • There simply is no change without it
• Get buy in from those in the department(s) who are “influencers”
• They will then use that influence to help others accept and adjust to the change
• Keep an ear out for what the
grapevine is saying and turn it
to your advantage
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Involvement is Key • Involve the team as early and often as possible
• The more those affected are involved the better – involvement invites ownership
• Involvement in identifying the need for changes
– Starting during the building the business case phase
• Involvement in development of the new processes and/or systems
• Make testing fun – a challenge to
“break it”
– Creates new experts
– Improves the end product
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Explain What’s in it for Them – Repeatedly
• We’re getting rid of old dysfunctional ways and systems
• Old workarounds and frustrations will go away – Cynics will say, only to be replaced by new ones…
• We will be learning new skills – That are transferable to other jobs
within the organization – and outside, too
• Increasing staffers’ marketability
and earning power
• Improving internal functioning and communication affords the opportunity to improve customer service – And increase respect for AP
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Explain What’s in it for Them – the Hard Part • Be honest about the fact that the change may have negative
outcomes for some staffers – it’s a trust thing
• Address these issues up front
– Take advantage of natural attrition
– Encourage well qualified staffers to
apply for other positions in the organization
• Talk to other department heads about the changes coming and let your folks know that they are aware that some AP talent may be available
– Provide opportunities for training and skill improvement
– Work with HR for good severance packages
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Integrate the Changes into the Entire Process
• Do whatever needs to be done to enshrine the new way of doing things into the way people work
• The AP manual (and other manuals and instructions) will need to be revised
• Job descriptions will need to be revised • Forms, clearly will need to be revised and if online
forms are part of the new process, developed and tested • The unspoken/unwritten rules need to be revised
– And this may be the hardest of all
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Pay Attention!
• Monitor how it is going and fix as needed
• Don’t let small problems develop into big ones
• Don’t expect perfection right out of
the box – but keep an eye out for
recurring problems and complaints
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Recognize that Change Takes Time
• People need time to learn and adapt
• Expect chaos at first, especially in regard to changes in software
• But at some point folks will not
be willing to go back to the
old way – or maybe even
remember how it was done
November 12-14, 2017
Bellagio Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
Kanter’s Law
• Everything looks like a failure in the middle.
• Rosabeth Moss Kanter, professor at
Harvard Business school