--- title: How to start your organizational change management description: Successful organizational change management strategies integrate change steps with design efforts to define a new structure early on in the process. image: https://managementkits.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Management-Kits_Organizational-change-management-starts-with-the-design-1.png --- [Skip to content](https://managementkits.com/blog/2020/6/22/how-to-start-organizational-change-management#main-content) ![Management Kits](https://managementkits.com/hubfs/Element%201_svg.svg) - [The MK Practice](https://managementkits.com/practice) - For organizations Show submenu for For organizations - [Companies and teams](https://managementkits.com/enterprise-solutions) - [International schools](https://managementkits.com/education) - [Blog](https://managementkits.com/blog) - [About](https://managementkits.com/about) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [The MK Practice](https://managementkits.com/practice) - For organizations Show submenu for For organizations - [Companies and teams](https://managementkits.com/enterprise-solutions) - [International schools](https://managementkits.com/education) - [Blog](https://managementkits.com/blog) - [About](https://managementkits.com/about) - [Contact us](https://managementkits.com/blog/2020/6/22/how-to-start-organizational-change-management#contact) [Contact us](https://managementkits.com/blog/2020/6/22/how-to-start-organizational-change-management#contact) 22 Jun 2020 # How to start your organizational change management Share this blog: [LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://managementkits.com/blog/2020/6/22/how-to-start-organizational-change-management) [Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://managementkits.com/blog/2020/6/22/how-to-start-organizational-change-management) [Email](mailto:?body=https://managementkits.com/blog/2020/6/22/how-to-start-organizational-change-management)   ![Management-Kits\_Organizational-change-management-starts-with-the-design.png](https://managementkits.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Management-Kits_Organizational-change-management-starts-with-the-design.png) **Successful organizational change management strategies integrate change steps with design efforts to define a new structure early on in the process.** ---   Almost every organizational change - with the exception, perhaps, of initiatives exclusively focused on changing organizational culture - will include a component of organizational structural change. In such cases, the strategy should be to start the change management process very early on in your work - or, to put it differently, make your communications plan, organizational development activities, and other dedicated change interventions a first priority of your organizational change management plan.   ## Implementing change must start in the design phase of changing the organizational structure Defining and implementing a new organizational structure is a social process. As a result, broad involvement of key stakeholders, and opportunities for them to contribute their insights and ideas, is critical to the new organizational structure successfully serving its purpose. From an organizational change perspective in particular, stakeholder participation in problem solving across different parts of the organization does several things: - It strengthens the design by reflecting multiple perspectives - It lays the foundation for successful organizational change management, as it allows for buy-in early in the process - It triggers sense-making in the new structure, thus fostering informal relationships between stakeholders, which are of key importance for any structural set-up to be effective in practice   ## A three-step process for successful organizational, structural change As part of the process guidance for the Organizational Structure Kit, we propose a tested [three-step organizational design and change process of initiating, designing, and testing](https://managementkits.com/practice?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=cta&utm_campaign=p1-practice&utm_content=how-to-start-organizational-change-manag-inline). This process typically involves iterations. For example, tests will probably be conducted early on (e.g., via thought experiments, simulations, discussion of examples) and debate on additional issues and details will be initiated later in the process. A key insight from numerous change efforts that we have supported is that you should have an integrated view of your design process and the change management in order to get to a new organizational structure. Key activities of your design work can prepare for, initiate, and sustain change. And dedicated change and organizational development activities can be utilized for the design of the organizational structure, for example, by gathering crucial feedback on early ideas and organizational prototypes.       You don't read a practice. You run it. Want to work on this in your own organization, week by week, rather than read about it? That is what the MK Practice is for: a diagnostic that reads where your organization needs work first, research-based working topics, and a work agenda that keeps it moving. USD 990 a year, 30-day money-back guarantee. [See how the MK Practice works →](https://managementkits.com/practice?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=cta&utm_campaign=p1-practice&utm_content=how-to-start-organizational-change-manag) *Running it with a whole leadership team? [Schedule a short demo](https://calendly.com/martin-managementkits/demo-english).* [Organizational Change](https://managementkits.com/blog/tag/organizational-change), [Organizational Change Management](https://managementkits.com/blog/tag/organizational-change-management), [Organizational Structure Change](https://managementkits.com/blog/tag/organizational-structure-change), [2020](https://managementkits.com/blog/tag/2020) ## Related posts [![](https://managementkits.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Management%20Kits%20-%20Org%20Chart-2.png?height=200&name=Management%20Kits%20-%20Org%20Chart-2.png)](https://managementkits.com/blog/2016/2/16/why-we-are-obsessed-with-organizational-charts) ## [Five questions to consider before changing your org chart](https://managementkits.com/blog/2016/2/16/why-we-are-obsessed-with-organizational-charts) Drawing organizational charts is one of the most common organizing practices. Used as a shortcut to... 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[![](https://managementkits.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Management-Kits%20How%20You%20Help%20Social.png?height=200&name=Management-Kits%20How%20You%20Help%20Social.png)](https://managementkits.com/blog/2023/03/20/why-excellent-schools-focus-on-structure) ## [Why excellent schools focus on structure](https://managementkits.com/blog/2023/03/20/why-excellent-schools-focus-on-structure) Is your school sufficiently preparing your students for the future? Providing students with all... 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