What does it mean to be 'People Centric' vs 'Process Centric'? Compliance vs Engagement
Traditional change management prioritizes task completion and conformity, while the Human Quotient approach fosters true commitment by addressing users' personal goals and concerns, resulting in deeper and more proactive engagement.
The traditional approach may be demonstrated through a focus on aggressive program milestones and deadlines, with emphasis on ‘how to use the new system’. Attendance may be mandatory, and tracked, but no feedback loop or brand/market nuance discussion is invited. Communication may also be deadline-oriented; ‘By December 1st all assets must be….’ or ‘Complete your training by X….’. This approach creates risk by overlooking the human aspect of the change and creates resistance through the communication of deadlines without prior consideration given to user/stakeholder impact.
A ’people-centric’ approach advocates fostering true commitment to a technology change program by connecting with users on a personal level - addressing their goals, concerns, and motivations. This includes clear definition and articulation of WHAT we are doing, WHY we are doing it and HOW it will benefit you.
For instance, if the new system streamlines repetitive tasks, you might emphasize to a marketing team how it will allow them to spend more time on creative work instead of searching for assets. For a project manager, communicate how the system enhances visibility over team workflows, helping them meet deadlines and reduce bottlenecks.
Finding ways to connect the objectives of the user to that of the program, and then those program goals to the broader departmental or business objectives can lay a solid foundation for how we communicate going forward, speaking of which…
