A new ERP, a restructure, a move to a new plant layout. The project plan says green, the steering committee is happy, and yet people on the ground are quietly going back to the old way of doing things.
Change rarely fails all at once. It loses people slowly. Here are five signs we look for, and what to do when you see them.
1. Meetings are full but nobody asks questions
Silence in a town hall is rarely agreement. It usually means people don’t think their questions will change anything. Try smaller sessions with team leads, where it is easier to raise concerns.
2. Workarounds start appearing
Spreadsheets running alongside the new system, or informal approvals that skip the new process, are a sign the change hasn’t been made workable for the people using it. Find out why, and fix the process before you push for compliance.
3. Middle managers explain the change differently
If two supervisors give their teams two different reasons for the change, the message from the top was not clear enough. Give managers a short, plain explanation they can repeat, and check that they are comfortable with it.
4. Early wins aren’t being talked about
People need to see that the effort is paying off. If something has improved, say so, with real numbers, and credit the team that made it happen.
5. The sponsor has moved on
Senior sponsors often step back once the launch is done. Teams notice. Keeping the sponsor visible for the first few months after go-live matters more than most organisations expect.
None of these signs means the programme is doomed. They are early warnings, and acting on them is far cheaper than relaunching later. Our Organisational Change Management work focuses on exactly this stage.