Got Change? Preparing for the Next at Georgia Tech
As an Institute in the business of creating the next, change is all around us helping us move forward.
“Creating the next innovation at Tech requires us to effectively manage change, and that means building an organization that is agile and prepared to adopt new ways of working,” said Sonia Alvarez-Robinson, executive director for Georgia Tech’s Strategic Consulting. “Organizations that are intentional in their effort to prepare for change are more successful in managing the actual change.”
A solid strategy to prepare for change and sustain momentum depends upon six success factors.
- Develop a clear and compelling vision - This involves helping people understand what success looks like — the benefits for them and the Institute. This moves the needle past what will not happen and refocuses attention on what will happen.
- Gain visible sponsorship from leaders - Enlisting the active support of project champions and ambassadors to help campaign for the initiative is a critical factor for successful change.
- Engage and empower people - Involving those impacted by the change allows people to be a part of the process and gain a sense of ownership in the improvements.
- Evaluate processes and structure - Achieving organizational improvement often requires adjusting how an organization operates on a daily basis. It is hard to achieve new goals if you are doing the same things you have always done.
- Develop knowledge and skills - For an organization in continuous pursuit of excellence, the need for workforce development must be ongoing.
- Reinforce and sustain improvement - Rewarding the desired behaviors, celebrating progress, and having accountability for moving forward are key to making improvement stick.
Guided by those factors, Strategic Consulting is assisting several campus units in pursuing organizational effectiveness by helping them prepare for, and adopt, new ways of working. The team serves the Institute by partnering with units across all academic, research, and administrative functions. In addition to consulting with campus partners on leading and managing change, Strategic Consulting offers a range of integrated services designed to enable institutional effectiveness:
- Organizational Review
- Strategy Development and Implementation
- Project Management
- Portfolio Management
- Organizational Design and Development
- Process Optimization
One example visible to all of campus is the Library Renewal Project. As the Library reimagines how to best serve the evolving research, teaching, and learning needs of the campus community, Strategic Consulting is playing an active role in helping the Library ready itself for this change.
“We are on a mission to transform the research library for the 21st century,” said Catherine Murray-Rust, dean of libraries and vice provost for academic effectiveness. “With the help and support of our colleagues in Strategic Consulting, we are learning to create programs and projects that align with our goals, foster innovation, effectively use resources, and encourage faculty and staff contribution.”
Through a team of dedicated internal consultants, Strategic Consulting is working to make the pursuit of institutional effectiveness a positive and productive experience. For more information, visit consulting.gatech.edu.