Offering Change Management Services Within a Well-Rounded Practice

Interior architects and designers often deliver projects that accommodate the ways clients would like to work in the future, not how they currently operate. In those instances, unless someone on the client side is managing the functional change from the old way of working to the new one, the implementation of the design may lead to a new space but unhappy workers. No matter how successful designers are at interpreting a client’s vision, our work may ultimately fail a postoccupancy evaluation.

As manipulators and creators of space, we do not always acknowledge that our designs eventually change clients’ experiences, including operational processes that are central to their day-to-day work. This is where change management becomes a necessary part of ensuring that designs are successfully utilized once completed.

Why clients understand the value of change management
A 2015 survey of more than 300 C-suite leaders from companies of all sizes, conducted by Raconteur and Google Cloud, found an average 120 percent positive return on investment in change management programs. It also reported that the most successful strategies included leadership buy in, an impactful communications plan, and effective training.

Chief financial officers, program directors, and project managers from a variety of industries are usually more than willing to properly transition their workforce, especially when the original investment is so large. Software companies are excellent at coupling change management and training as part of the cost of purchase and implementation, so why shouldn’t designers provide similar services for large capital expenditures?

Enterprise software vendors have rigorous built-in change management training programs that are required for successful company-wide integration. Without proper communication and instruction, though, their software can be underutilized or used incorrectly. The client’s stakeholders then become frustrated with the change and its use, and would rather revert back to the old way of doing things. Does this sound familiar?

The value of change management for design professionals
Following the programming and schematic design phases, designers rarely receive access to stakeholders during the remainder of a project and after its opening. I have found that providing change management services allows ongoing access to all of the stakeholders from the C suite through construction and postoccupancy of a project. This is incredibly helpful in communicating to all parties why specific design decisions were made and in managing expectations before everyone moves into the new space.

The data points used to measure a successful change management program are the type that designers would love to get their hands on during a postoccupancy evaluation. These include metrics on adoption, utilization, employee feedback, behavioral change, key performance indicators, and operational execution. Providing ongoing touch points throughout the process, change management services better position designers to be trusted advisers within the C suite and enable invaluable access and insight into an organization.

Putting change management into place
Executing change management does require additional resources within a firm. Many design firms seek out consultant partnerships, look for new hires, or train existing staff to integrate it into their offerings. As with LEED and other certifications, a number of credentialing and extended learning programs at well-known colleges and universities provide excellent professional development opportunities for future firm leaders.

A relatively new field, change management was not a part of the standard business vernacular until the 1990s, and it wasn’t codified as an actual discipline until the 2000s. This newness creates a prime opportunity for the design profession to embrace and lead a new service offering that can be applied throughout the design timeline. At the same time, change management processes can provide vital feedback on a firm’s current design workflow and improve the chances of clients’ greater happiness with a new interior.

—–
This article was originally published in Contract Magazine.