ComTeamSurvey 2008: Are the First Results!

True Change: What is the View of Those Involved in Change Processes?”

Change Processes, are they as bad as their reputation? Is it true that people say, it is ”too much” and it is “too fast”? Or are those involved mostly glad that it is “over”, or that “something is happening at last” in the race that is going on in these times of globalization? Do they see a chance or may be even more than that and experience change as a pleasurable challenge – given the fact that you run the projects professionally and do not make too many mistakes? All this expresses exactly the results of the ComTeam Survey 2008, in which more than 300 managers and executives took part in March this year.

High Readiness - Lost Chances

Change is generally seen as something positive. Expressions like “ fit for the future”, “personal chance”, “participation” are associated with change, whereas negative associations like “loss of jobs”, “frustration”, “waste of time” only rarely exist. This seems to give hope, especially when considering the strong effect on the company and the strategic importance of change projects which all participants rank as very high.

But when you look at the contentment of those involved, the picture looks quite different. Only 30 % are content or very content with the results of change processes. Two thirds are doubtful concerning the implementation: the doubts expressed are not so much connected to the project’s subject or the goal, but to the mistakes made during the process.

Change Projects Lack Professional Managing

Here are the key points of the critique expressed:
1. Lack of information and communication
2. Not enough participation within the company
3. Lack of efficiency, bad organization
4. Too many projects at a time
5. Decision processes: too long and unclear
6. Unprofessional project management
7. Time pressure and hectic

Therefore, many see the significance of change management in the organization very low (4,4, on a scale 1 to 10). As a result, highly motivated employees turn into critics by the experience of too many mistakes during the course of the project - quite a high price economically and socially.

You can download a first analysis (in German) here and in June 2008 an extensive documentation with comments will be available.