Insights and Advice for Enabling More Efficient and Sustainable Construction

Organizational Change In Construction: 5 Tips To Help You Get Started

April 12, 2021
6 mins read

70% of organizational change projects are failing due to poor implementation and management. Beat the statistics with a detailed plan on introducing change within your company.

Construction projects involve numerous stages from pre-construction planning to the final delivery. Chances are there will be some changes made along the way. One of the critical areas of construction management is being able to adapt to these variations and implement organizational change effectively.

What Is Organizational Change Management?

Adopting organizational change is something that contractors and construction companies constantly need to do. Change management refers to this process of taking on a change or adopting a new norm.

Organizational change can cover a wide area. The idea is to take on new systems, technologies, or standard operating procedures that help to improve the current system. The goal is to improve efficiency and drive positive growth in construction. Changes can be small and adaptive (like using new software) or large-scale changes that involve a substantial shift within the organization.

In the construction industry, digital transformation is becoming more important. There are new systems and software that help construction companies to automate tedious tasks or enhance the accuracy and efficiency of certain processes. This digitalization enables them to remain competitive. Implementing and adapting to these new technologies is one type of organizational change.

Managing Organizational Change in Construction

Organizational change is a necessary process for construction companies to grow and be successful. To be successful, proper construction management is essential.

Construction businesses need to introduce changes in the right way. This ensures that they aren’t disruptive to business operations.

1. Identify & Define the Change 

The first step might seem obvious, but many seem to overlook it. You need to identify and define the change you want to implement within your construction business. Whether it’s adopting new technology or adjusting your standard project processes, this first step is very important. Defining the change will enable you to see the value that the change will provide. Knowing the value then allows you to determine how much time, effort and resources you should invest in it. The key question to consider here is “why do we need this change?”.In this first step, it is critical to analyse whether the proposed change/s align with your company goals, objectives and values. The change should contribute to company growth and assist you in reaching your goals.

2. Assess the Change & its impact

Now that you know what you want to achieve with this change, you need to assess its impact at all levels of your organization. To do this, you need to consider four factors: time, scope, cost and risk. Understand how the change will influence each of these elements in your company and figure out the best approach to take to minimize issues. The change should enhance your construction business and drive vertical growth in these areas.In addition, you need to consider the impact on your workers. Who will this change affect the most? By understanding this, you can determine the best ways to implement the change and provide support to those who need it. This will ensure a more seamless adoption of the change.

3. Communication

Communication is a critical factor in change management. Changes can only be adopted properly if there are strong communication systems in place. This should include a clear flow of information from managers through to the construction workers. Everyone should be prepared for the new change and have a good understanding of how the new system will work.

4. Provide Training and Support 

A big challenge when implementing change is facing resistance to the change. People get comfortable doing things a certain way. So, when you change things suddenly, it could completely disrupt operations. It is essential that you provide the appropriate training and support for any changes. This ensures that your teams and workers can adapt more easily to the new processes.

5. Measure Progress 

The last step in effective organizational change management in construction is to measure the progress of the change. For example, if you started using construction project management software, you can measure the impact it has on your project efficiency and performance. By measuring progress, you can determine whether the change was effective and achieved what you expected it to.

Conclusion

Organizational change is an inevitable part of construction management. Being prepared for the unknown and ready to take on new changes is an important part of any construction manager’s job. Be sure to take the right approach and you will see positive growth within your construction company.