Change without Migraines™ Consulting
This process is lead by our associate, Rick Maurer

How do you lead change “without migraines?”

Successful change occurs most often when people build a strong foundation of support for new initiatives.

However, experience shows that those who lead change often ignore this human element or, at best, give it only lip service. People are treated as boxes to be checked off as leaders try to enlist their support or force compliance. Little effort is made to engage people's heads and hearts in planning and implementation. This creates resistance and often kills otherwise good new ideas.

How we work:

Typically we are invited in to assist a planning team from the beginning of the change through implementation. We work a little differently than the big consulting firms. We don't move in and take over. It is your project and you will be leading it. We are there to support you and give you our best advice.

Each engagement is quite distinct. No two organizations have the same situation or the same needs. With some clients we work face-to-face with the planning team once a month. Others prefer us to be more involved, such as helping them plan and conduct important meetings with stakeholders, coaching their leaders, running focus groups, and conducting some training.

We help you avoid challenges to your change through five strategies:

1. Making a case for change. People need to understand why an issue is crucial before they will commit to change. We help you make your case in a way that touches peoples minds and hearts.
   
   
2. Getting people aligned. All key stakeholders must work toward the same compelling vision. We show you how to make that happen.
   
   
3. Keeping the Change Alive. It’s one thing to roll out an idea, it is quite another to see the results from all your effort. Too many good ideas die after a considerable waste of talent and money. We work closely with you so that you reap the full benefit from your investments.
   
   
4. Getting Things Back on Track. It’s just reality that unexpected things happen that can derail a perfectly good idea. It’s best to be prepared for the unexpected. We help you prepare for unanticipated events and prevent your new initiative from derailing.
   
   
5. Leadership Development. Leading change requires special skills. Not everyone is a natural. The more you know about how to lead change, the easier it will be to create support instead of resistance and move with agility when those brilliant plans need to be adjusted.

The common link is that all of our work is based on our Change without Migraines™ philosophy. You will:

• Get major new projects up and running quickly
• Build support for new initiatives
• Identify even hidden resistance to change
• Sustain stakeholders’ commitment to the change over the long haul