should do it. The implementation plan should therefore cover
not only the information to be given but also how it should be
presented. The presentation will be easier if, in the analysis and
design stage, full consultation has taken place with the individ-
uals and groups who will be affected by the change. Too many
organizational changes have failed because they have been
imposed from above or from outside without proper consider-
ation for the views and feelings of those most intimately
concerned.
Implementation is often attempted by purely formal means –
issuing edicts, distributing organization manuals or handing out
job descriptions. These may be useful as far as they go, but while
they provide information, they do not necessarily promote
understanding and ownership. This can only be achieved on an
informal but direct basis. Individuals must be given the opportu-
nity to talk about what the proposed changes in their responsi-
bilities will involve – they should already have been given the
chance to contribute to the thinking behind the change, so
discussions on the implications of the proposals should follow
quite naturally. There is no guarantee that individuals who feel
threatened by change will accept it, however much they have
been consulted. But the attempt should be made. Departmental,
team and interfunctional meetings can help to increase under-
standing. Change management is discussed in more detail in
Chapter 23.
The implementation plan may have to cater for the likelihood
that all the organizational changes cannot be implemented at
once. Implementation may have to be phased to allow changes to
be introduced progressively, to enable people to absorb what
they will be expected to do and to allow for any necessary
training. Changes may in any case be delayed until suitable
people for new positions are available.
266 How to be an Even Better Manager