Projects are impacted by and have an impact on internal cultural norms and organizational management policies and procedures. These factors are increasingly important in global organizations where team members work from different, sometimes remote, offices, each with its own culture. Employees must align with the organization’s culture and comply with its policies, while project managers must respect the diverse cultures of their team and stakeholders.
Understanding organizational culture, politics, and governance enables project managers to adapt their leadership approach and make necessary project changes to minimize negative impacts and keep the project on track. In cases like project cancellation, the project manager must lead a smooth transition.
Consider organizational culture throughout a project’s life cycle. Why? Imagine uncovering key requirements not initially disclosed by the supporting organization. This could require project changes. Why were these requirements undisclosed? Was it an oversight or intentional? How will these changes affect the organizational culture, and will the team and customer support them?
Effective project change management ensures changes are necessary and systematically implemented. Below are practices to manage project changes impacting the organization:
Projects aim to transition stakeholders from a current state to a future state defined by project objectives. Project managers ensure minimal disruption during this transition. Historically, transitions received less attention, but modern projects prioritize managing them effectively, either in the Close Project/Phase process or as separate projects.
Stakeholders need support to transition to new solutions. Examples include:
PMI’s Managing Change in Organizations: A Practice Guide (2013) outlines five elements: formulate, plan, implement, manage transition, and sustain change. Below are key change models:
Developed by Jeff Hiatt in 2006, ADKAR (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement) outlines five steps for individuals to adapt to change, guiding communication and activities for stakeholders.
John Kotter’s 1995 framework uses a top-down approach, encouraging leaders to generate enthusiasm, communicate the vision, and identify change leaders to influence stakeholders.
Published in 1991, this model anticipates stakeholder impacts, acknowledging that things may worsen before improving, with clear communication and support being key.
William Bridges’ 1980 model describes psychological stages of change: ending, losing, and letting go; the neutral zone; and the new beginning.