Change is an inevitable feature of the business cycle. But approaching change – even when manifestly positive and beneficial – can be challenging for many organisations.
So how can organisations create the right environment?
Project managers can be instrumental in ensuring business change – whether delivering new processes via digital transformation or organisational restructuring – is properly adopted and implemented.
Agile methodologies, which focus on embracing change while keeping teams stable, are increasingly deployed to leverage benefits of change within a business.
The agile approach prizes simplicity, flexibility, speed and efficiency – which holds wide appeal for organisations and business across sectors and industry.
Agile derives from the influential ‘Agile Manifesto’ – a document created in February 2001 by 17 software professionals at a ski lodge in Utah. This group of independent thinkers – later dubbed ‘The Agile Alliance’ – was united by a desire to find an alternative to “documentation driven, heavyweight software development processes”.
The manifesto embraces four main themes:
- individuals and interactions over processes and tools
- working software over comprehensive documentation
- customer collaboration over contract negotiation
- responding to change over following a plan.
How can businesses incorporate the benefits of agile into their organisation?
The first step is boosting the skills and capabilities of those who would lead change within the business.
When it comes to accredited skills development, the first port is Axelos. This is a joint venture between the government and Capita, and it designs and delivers best practice qualifications in project management.
The PRINCE2 qualification is the industry standard and is a prestigious statement about an individual’s commitment to maintaining excellence and the highest professional standards.
High-quality PRINCE2 Courses in London enables individuals both learn about agile processes whilst also seeding the knowledge and confidence to implement the most appropriate methodologies. From London to Dublin, across weekends to weekdays, there are courses available in close proximity to most population centres across the UK and Ireland.
And for those who specifically seeking to enter the IT industry, Axelos offers ITIL training course which is also extremely useful.
Managing change within a project, or indeed being responsive to external market factors, is the hallmark of a great project manager.
The skills developed and proven with a certified PRINCE2 Course will go a long way to ensuring individuals are properly equipped with the right tools to effectively manage change. For example, knowledge of the configuration management database – and learning the correct discipline for maintaining it – ensures data can be tracked and managed.
How organisations respond to change will often make the difference between success and failure. That’s why many organisations view the change process as an investment worth making. PRINCE2 Weekend Courses are a great opportunity for businesses to get their employees trained without taking time off work during the week.
With the correct skills and tools in place, organisations can then effectively begin the process of reviewing culture and established processes. Then the serious work of the agreeing the correct strategy, winning leadership buy-in, establishing appropriate governance and communicating effectively with internal and external stakeholders can begin.
Further reading on project management
