Change Management

Change management involves the selection of strategies to facilitate the transition of individuals, teams, or organizations from a current state of operation to the new, desired state. It is a framework to guide how leaders of change to prepare and support those impacted by a change initiative. In addition to managing the technical aspects of change, change management involves managing the feelings, perceptions, and reactions of the people that may impact, or are impacted, by the change.

Most change management frameworks, such as Prosci’s 3-Phase Process or Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model, involve processes for creating an environment for change, facilitating the transition, and reinforcing or sustaining the change. A large part of successful change management is understanding all the people or stakeholders involved and adequately communicating in a transparent way.

Performance improvement (PI) initiatives involve the introduction of a change project to improve some aspect of organizational performance. Therefore, change management should always be exercised in concert with PI. For example, quality improvement projects involve testing and adopting an intervention to improve a particular process or outcome; accreditation may require an organization to revise practices so work is being documented; or performance management may involve staff to monitor and track their performance against standards.

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It is critical to gain buy-in for PI initiatives from staff and external stakeholders, including community partners, funders, and governing entities. This Guide to Communicating about Performance Improvement provides a step by step approach to crafting messages and implementing strategies that build support for PI.

In order to access the guide, you must download it through NACCHO's Toolbox by clicking the link above. NACCHO's Toolbox is free and open to the public, but you must register for a NACCHO account to download items. Instructions for creating an account are available during the download process.

Access the Performance Improvement Communication Worksheets

Building an organizational culture of quality is a transformational change that requires deliberate change management. Systems and processes must be in place to support and sustain QI while also empowering staff to embrace and engage in QI. NACCHO’s Roadmap to a Culture of Quality (Roadmap) guides organizations through six phases of QI maturity using change management strategies. Visit the Roadmap to learn more about change management and QI.

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