The views expressed in this article are strictly those of Max Wideman.
The contents of the book under review are the copyright property of the author.
Published here September 2018

Introduction | Book Structure | What We Liked: Part 1, Part 2
Downside | Summary

Introduction

Before we get going, first let us allay the confusion, or rather sloppy use, of the word "change" in different combinations. First there is "Change Management" that is best defined as: "The formal process through which changes to the project plan are approved and introduced."[1] That is to say the administration of formal approved changes to the scope of the project, and consequential changes to the time and/or cost of the project including document version control.

Then there is the "Management of Change" best defined as: "The means by which the people issues surrounding business process reengineering are managed. This often involves a cultural shift in attitudes, expectations, opportunities, training and future prospects, along with the reorganization of people."[2]

Author Gina Abudi uses an even better label: "Organizational Change" that, these days, is clearly an essential by product of almost all[3] business associated projects. That is, if the "product" of the original project is to be implemented successfully for the long term, and intended benefits realized, it is necessary to change the "culture" of the people.[4]

It's like adding another phase to the classic four-phase project life span. It's what many project managers feel what is at the end of his or her responsibility:[5] "OK, the product is done and delivered, it's up to someone else to use it or put it into practice. So where do we go from here?" Answer: Gina's book is a very thorough exposition of what should take place either as a part of, or at least in parallel with, or follow on for any serious business remodeling project.

At the heart of the book is the author's desire to see continuous, focused and positive communication throughout the process of Implementing Positive Organizational Change. The goal of this communication strategy is to ensure that those affected will not see the change as something negative to worry about and resist, but rather a valuable opportunity to embrace for the future. Thus the book is intended for all those in the hierarchy from supervisors and managers up to senior leaders and executives in the C-suite. Somewhere in this scale are also project and program managers together with human resource professionals, business process improvement professionals and their respective consultants.

The Key Features of this book include:[6]

  • The challenges and negative perceptions of organizational change
  • Continuous communication best practices for engaging employees, and others most impacted in pursuit of product success
  • The value of using cross-cultural and cross-generational teams to engage people in the change
  • A project management approach that includes how to plan for change during the original project to beyond deployment, to ensure that the intended benefits are actually achieved.
  • A large number of mini case examples illustrating the associated texts in the book.

The book is also supported by an extensive range of practical templates, surveys/questionnaires, assessment tools, and check lists. These tools and templates are available for download on line by purchasers of the book.

About the author

Gina Abudi, MBA, has over 25 years of experience in organizational change management, project and process management, leadership development, and human resources management. She is President of Abudi Consulting Group, LLC, a management consulting firm serving mid-size to large global organizations. Her work includes efforts such as helping global organizations kick off large, complex change initiatives, setting up communication plans for change initiatives, helping to create and launch Change Management Centers of Excellence, and working with leadership to engage employees in change. At the time of writing, she is working with the Project Management Institute's non-profit Educational Foundation as a Community Engagement Member.

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1. See maxwideman.com/pmglossary - Change Management definition #[D04398]. This is an essential part of the project management process.
2. See maxwideman.com/pmglossary - Reserve definition #[D04940].
3. Indeed, if not "all"!
4. To a greater or lesser degree.
5. Unless specifically included in their job responsibility description.
6. Abudi, Gina MBA, Implementing Organizational Change, J.Ross Publishing, Florida, USA, 2017, observations abstracted from back cover.
 
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