I was recently asked where “change managment” should report in an organization. Here is what I had to say.
In my experience – and I think backed by most reputable research – cultural change does not work unless it is “owned” by the top executive. Having staff groups HR or the top strategic planning group functionally responsible for change management without the top person embracing and facilitating the change just won’t work. In this regard, it really does not matter where a staff group reports. I have also found that tactical projects such as those managed by a project management office become an exercise in bureaucracy unless the responsible line executive owns the project.
It gets really seductive for staff groups like HR, planning, or project management to be given responsibility for change. They become seduced by pseudo-power end up acting like line as opposed to staff functions and become rules administrators not problem solvers and often get gridlocked by conflict. They need to not see themselves as responsible for change, but as facilitators, advisors, and helpers. One thing I’ve learned is that help is defined by the person getting the help, not the one giving it.
That’s why I think change management is a process, not a function. The best people who help facilitate change management are those who can stimulate a sense of urgency, formulate a guiding coalition, and find a way to have top management own the change (see John Kotter’s 8 step change model – I’ve attached a useful link) http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_82.htm
Change management and project management techniques are tactical, not strategic, and too many practitioners become trapped in a self-referencing loop. That’s why many staff groups become irrelevant to the real direction of an organization and why, I think, OD skills help a lot.
