CHANGE

Management

Change is a challenge for all organisations. Whether that be small adaptive changes to keep the business evolving, or larger scale transformational changes which represent a more significant operational or strategic shift.

It can be driven by many different factors including market changes, economic trends or the development of new technology, and in a lot of cases purely just to meet the evolving demands of customers.

Change in committee led organisations can be slow and cautious as members tend to be more comfortable with evolution over revolution.

Change management is simply the process of steering organisational change through to completion, from the initial stages of conception and planning, through to implementation and conclusion.

The effects of not managing change effectively can have a significant and long-lasting impact, particularly when it comes to any that are considered transformational. Having effective strategies or utilising proven techniques is therefore crucial to ensure an organisation is prepared for changes that may come their way.

Communication and Transparency

Change in golf clubs can be particularly challenging, especially when those changes will have an impact on the status quo or the way in which things have been done previously, potentially for many years.

In many cases, club members may have the final say on whether a change is implemented, so it is vital that they are involved as much as possible throughout the whole process.

Sharing information throughout all stages of the process, and being open to feedback, will ultimately have the biggest impact on your success.

When making changes in a proprietary club, it is equally important to listen to the views of golfers and the membership, as while they may not have an official vote, they could vote with their feet and leave the club if they are not happy with any changes.

While no two change initiatives are the same, they typically follow a similar process. To effectively manage change, it is important to have a good understanding of the steps involved.

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Prepare Plan Implement Embed Review

For an organisation to successfully implement change it must be prepared both logistically and culturally

Once ready to embrace change, a thorough plan to help achieve it should be developed

Follow the steps in your plan to implement change ensuring employees are empowered throughout the process

Changes must be embedded with culture and practices, making it more difficult to revert back to old processes

Conducting a review helps understand reasons for success or failure, providing valuable lessons to leverage in the future

Reflection

• What was the last significant change you made at your club?

• What challenges did you have to overcome?

• What would you have done differently?