Why do we use the term “implementation management” instead of “change management” to describe what we do, and what the AIM (Accelerated Implementation Methodology approach is all about? It’s a common question we get, and rightly so, because change management has been the terminology for this discipline for many years. But then again, Human Resources used to be called Personnel, remember? And Performance Improvement used to be called Training. Language is important, because it sets the organizational positioning for this increasingly important function. There are very specific reasons why we use the term Implementation Management at IMA—and you may want to consider this terminology in your own organization as well.
What is Implementation Management?
By our definition, Implementation Management includes the following activities:
- The assessment of personal and cultural barriers to business changes
- The identification of work-life disruptions that are the consequence of strategic change
- The development of strategies and tactics to minimize anticipated barriers and leverage key strengths to increase readiness for change, and
- The process to accelerate the achievement of critical strategic business goals with reduced resources and fewer human casualties
So, if we peel back the layers of the onion, we are implying several very important things about what we do and our structured framework:
- This is a data-based approach that focuses on assessment and measurement
- It is business-disciplined, with an emphasis on financial management (reduced resources, and therefore, costs) and project management
- It is a business process that is both strategic and tactical, and therefore, it is action-oriented rather than theoretical and conceptual
- The focus is on the human elements, not because it is a nice thing to do, but because of the impact we can have on readiness and acceleration
Implications of Implementation Management versus Change Management
Know your audience—it goes without saying. Now look at the definition of Implementation Management and see how the language helps us to differentiate what we do from some of the common criticisms change management professionals face.
First, we are positioning ourselves as a critical business function that is measurement-focused, just like finance or operations. AIM is a business-approach, not strictly a human resources approach.
Second, what we are doing is not theoretical; it is focused on the real-world work of implementing critical business strategies, whether they are related to new technology, new processes, new acquisitions, or a
paradigm shift in business culture. This language helps us better relate to business leaders who are the Sponsors of change.
And for organizations with many engineers, scientists, IT professionals and the like, it takes what we do out of a conceptual approach and aligns us with their Frame of Reference—measurement, technical, and disciplined.
By using the language of Implementation Management rather than Change Management, we demonstrate how aligned the approach is with whatever project management methodologies currently exist. This is not separate from project management—it is a critical aspect of project management!
For all of these reasons, we use the language of Implementation Management rather than the traditional language of Change Management.
