APMG Change Management | Practitioner | (2 day)

About the Course

This course focuses on the practical aspects of effective change management as it relates to change and the individual, change and the organisation, communications and stakeholder engagement and change management practice. This is an intense course that involves both pre-course and evening study during the course. The course is entirely complementary to formal portfolio, programme and project management approaches (such as MOP®, MSP© , and PRINCE2© ) but knowledge of these approaches is not a pre-requisite for attendance.

Through study of selected sections of The Effective Change Manager’s Handbook the course provides a practical and informative pathway of understanding through the maze of principles, theories and the practice of change management. It gives a solid platform for clear best practice thinking and the application of a range of proven change management tools and techniques for achieving successful change.

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The full Foundation and Practitioner course covers the four key areas of the APMG examination syllabus:

Change and the individual:

• How change impacts individuals and the ‘journey’ people travel when dealing with change.
• The psychology of change and what motivates people to embrace or resist change.
• How personality and individual ‘difference’ impacts communications and relationships during change.
• The theories and models which describe the learning process, learning styles and the learning ‘dip’.
• Defining what is to be learned when planning training during change.

Change and the organization:

• How change works in organizations and the different change approaches and models found in organizations, including systems thinking.
• Key roles in organizational change and what makes good ‘Sponsors’ and ‘Change Agents’..
• Useful metaphors and images of organizations that help explain how they approach change.
• What is meant by ‘organizational culture’ and some descriptions of cultural ‘types’ and key dimensions /categories of culture in organizations.
• The theory and roots of ‘emergent’ change, and change situations that require an emergent approach.
• The strategic context for change – cascading decisions and design.
• Implementing strategy through portfolios, programmes and projects.
• Viewpoints and perspectives of change – vision and writing a vision statement.

Communication and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Principles for stakeholder engagement; identifying, and segmenting stakeholders.
• Mapping stakeholders using a stakeholder ‘radar’ and ‘two-dimensional’ matrix e.g. power/influence versus interest in the change.
• Managing relationships and mobilizing stakeholders using a variety of influencing strategies.
• Communication biases, feedback, interpersonal and mass communications, one-way versus two-way communications, using communications to achieve engagement.
• Maintaining a people-focused approach to communications.

• Barriers to effective communication and encouraging engagement by appealing to hearts and minds.
• Using ‘push-pull’ channels, lean and rich communications channels, fostering collaboration.
• Communication planning: developing a communication strategy and plan for change .

Change Management Practice:

• Identifying and categorizing change impacts on the organization and its people.
• Readiness for and motivation to change.
• How to work with individuals in large changes: establishing change agent networks (recruiting and developing the network).
• Working with middle managers and strategies to improve adoption of change.
• Laying the foundations for successful change – building an effective change team.
• Developing a change management plan.
• The ‘psychological contract’ between management and staff.
• Common types and causes of resistance and how to deal with it.
• Building and sustaining momentum in change.
• Levers and leverage – types of levers used in organizations to achieve ’critical mass’ and lasting change.
• Reinforcing systems – vicious and virtuous cycles.
• Understanding the project environment – project methodologies: considerations for change management.
• Identifying key project roles and owners – project sponsor and project board; project stakeholders and influencers; change management governance; Understanding the business change landscape.
• Developing a change delivery plan.

Pre-Requisites

Some previous experience of change management or programme/project management would be useful but is not essential. Foundation level or equivalent is also required for Practitioner only

Course Objectives

By attending this course, you will:

• achieve an internationally recognised APMGInternational qualification.
• learn from the experts, all of whom, are experienced change management practitioners.
• gain a clear, practical understanding of the implications and impacts of change on people and organizations.
• gain knowledge and understanding of how to support people through change.

Passing the exam will give you an internationally recognised professional qualification.

Designed for

This course is ideal for staff and teams involved in all aspects of change management; those leading or about to lead and manage a change programme; those seeking a recognized, internationally accredited, Foundation and Practitioner qualification; change team members affected by or effecting change; individuals who will need to support their colleagues, team and organisation through change, and manage themselves through change.

Change Management Foundation certificate