Entry Software Corporation

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Change Management

What does it take to be an IT Manager?

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A further look into an IT managers daily responsibilities 

Information technology managers (IT managers) are tasked every day with managing multiple functions of a business. Businesses are becoming more reliant on IT managers as technology continues to increase its role in modern businesses. IT managers are essential to a successful organization through their experience and expertise in the field. There are multiple skills important to living up to the roles and responsibilities of being an IT manager. Here are a few of the many responsibilities of an IT manager:

Project Management and Planning

Change is inevitable as businesses grow with the times. It is important for organizations to stay on top of change and adjust their resources accordingly. IT managers must modernize existing systems to optimize company productivity. This may include a software that functions to effectively distribute tasks, organize the workforce, determine costs, and set timeframes. All are essential functions to project management and planning which regularly cost an IT manager valuable time. 

Leading IT Staff

IT managers are responsible for leading a team of employees. This includes scheduling, assigning tasks, implementing project milestones, and more to help employees reach their fullest potential. It is important for employees to remain engaged and feel trusted within the workplace. IT managers must operate with an open communication network allowing employees to come to them with questions or concerns.

Meeting Client and Business’ Needs

IT managers are tasked with the responsibility of meeting customer and business needs using online functions. This means when a customer is experiencing issues with usability the IT manager must fix the problem without changing the original function of that feature. As well, IT managers must create new features when businesses are looking to update their websites or applications. This again must be done in a manner that does not disrupt the original functions and current customers experience. Balancing these two aspects are part of the everyday job of an IT manager.

Creating and Refining Technology Systems

IT managers are important to maintaining a functional and secure computerized system. When problems arise within the computer system the IT leader is tasked with finding technical solutions. IT managers need extensive knowledge in their field as well as on the computer system in place. 

Many IT managers have already adopted a computerized system or additional software to reduce the stress of their multiple responsibilities. This will help you with the day-to -day organization of resources, tasks, scheduling, and more. Taking this step allows you to operate efficiently in your integral role within the company.

Learn how you can organize your IT department.

 

Combining Change Management and Project Management

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depicting an unexpected change to a project and how it is managed
Recognize change and make modifications before it is harmful to your project.

There is great value in the strategic combination of change management and project management within the operations of a company. Change management is a method used to help a company adapt to changes from internal and external factors. Project management on the other hand is the process of organizing large projects and coaching a team throughout each milestone. The integration of both allows a company to make changes on both a technical and employee level.

Although change management and project management are both structured methods there are different characteristics to each. Change management for instance is a structured process in implementing change; however, there is no defined goal requiring multiple shifts to approach strategies. In contrast, project management is defined by a specific end goal as well as project milestones throughout. Project managers can plan their entire project before beginning whereas change managers are presented with unexpected changes throughout the process. 

The integration of both management approaches within technological systems and employee management can lead your company to greater opportunity for success. This allows for problems to be identified, changes to be made, employees to be informed, and issues to be resolved.

Why Project Managers should Integrate Change Management into their Strategy

Individual and shared goals

Project Managers and Change managers can work together to reach a shared objective while also working independently towards specific goals. The integration of both can work to improve employee performance and overall company success. 

Project Team Communication

The integration of these two strategies makes for greater communication between all roles within the project. For example, when an unexpected development arises the project team is presented with the issue in a timely manner and change managers begin to adjust project plans. This fast recognition of an issue and communication of important strategic adjustments is attributed to the integration of the two management approaches. 

Employee Commitment

Project managers know how unexpected changes can occur and how that can hinder the progress of the project. It is important to be able to identify these issues immediately and have solutions or modifications. This proactive organization of changes to the project will motivate employees to embrace the change rather than be afraid of it.

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Value in Integrating Change Management and Project Management

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Manage changes to projects or initiatives within an organization on both a technical and human level.

Project management is the process of supervising a project team through a series of tasks that ultimately reach completion of a defined goal with a specified target date for completion. On the other hand, change management is intended to support an organization’s adjustment to the changes due to either internal processes or external factors.

Often change management involves continuous efforts with no explicitly defined deliverables. This lack of clarity when companies are evolving to meet fluctuating market conditions and emerging technologies.

Perhaps the clearest distinction between project management and change management is the level of structure that is characteristic to each. At the enterprise level, project management involves defined phases, methodologies, and techniques.

Change management may share all those points; however, unlike project management, it is extremely unpredictable. While project managers can plan their whole project in detail before any actual work occurs, change managers must be prepared for unexpected developments and need to shift their approach and change their strategy as needed.

The integration of change management and project management creates value for a given project for many reasons

Singular but Shared Objective

With the integration of project management and change management, efforts can be focused towards a shared objective. This leads to a significant improvement in the performance of the organization through successful implementation of a change that will deliver the desired results.

Alignment and Buy-In

Through the integration of technical and people activities, there is a higher chance of employees embracing the change, ensuring majority buy-in, and resulting in the right outcomes for the project.

Flow of Information

The smooth flow of information ensures that affected employees are receiving the relevant information. Furthermore, it helps guarantee that the project team gains valuable feedback on adoption and response to the change on the back end.

Project Management and Change Management Training

The two roles tend to demand distinguishing methods of training and different areas of expertise, given the contrast in how project managers and change managers are expected to execute their work.

Project managers typically begin their careers developing expertise in a field. With gained knowledge and experience, they eventually start leading projects. Today, more and more project managers are earning professional certifications like PMP to sharpen their skills and increase their industry value.

It is common for change management experts to come from communications or management consulting backgrounds. They have acquired knowledge on how high functioning organizations make decisions and how the change management process inevitably affects employees, customers, and vendors.

But unlike project management, there is no widely-recognized change management certification for change management experts. They can, however, establish their level of expertise by gaining PMP and other recognized project management credentials.

To better appreciate the value of project management and change management, sign up for a free demo of TeamHeadquarters, the solution that gives you total control of project ticket queues, integrated email agents, sophisticated and comprehensive resource management, task scheduling, project groups, portfolio dashboards, integrated status reporting, integrated and customizable reporting, the inclusion of customers on project tasks and tickets and a Customer Self-Service Portal.