"No battle plan withstands enemy contact."

Organizational leaders can relate to some variation of this sobering military phrase. Implementation introduces one's carefully laid plans to the realities of organizational dynamics and market forces including the possibility that it does not work as we thought it would.

We can help you minimize "implementation surprises" through the use of Action Research.

Action Research is an approach that can be used to minimize time to adoption of processes and practices deemed essential to sustaining an organizational transformation. It involves collaboration between organizational members and researchers during all phases of a research effort. planning, implementation, measurement, analysis, conclusions, with the intention of producing practical, evidence-based knowledge needed to sustain an organizational change.

When organizational changes affect only minor modifications to current operations, course corrections can be made during an implementation because the risks can be contained and managed. However, when planning a major transformation, especially in today's hyper-competitive marketplace, that approach can be costly. It is essential to minimize disruptions to productivity and to keep employees engaged, as they get accustomed to a new way of working. Action Research has the unintended benefit of naturally creating a "change management effect." This is because most participants tend to become process advocates because they had a hand in testing and modifying the process before it went "live."

Would Action Research be useful before or during a major transformation in your organization? Here is a question our clients tell us they find helpful in making a decision:

"Are we willing to spend thousands of dollars on an 'insurance policy' now that will minimize the risk of a costly or embarrassing 'implementation surprise' later?"