Contract Magazine - September 2017 - 30

Offering Change Management Services
Within a Well-Rounded Practice
by Evelyn M. Lee, AIA

Evelyn M. Lee, AIA, writes
a regular column for Contract
on business practices in design
and professional development.
Based in San Francisco, Lee
is corporate managing director
for workplace strategy and
analytics at Savills Studley.
She holds graduate degrees
in architecture, public
administration, and business
administration. Currently
a member of the AIA national
board of directors, Lee
received an AIA Young
Architects Award in 2014.
Her website is evelynlee.com.
Visit contractdesign.com/
businesspractice to read all
of her columns for Contract.

Interior architects and designers often
deliver projects that accommodate the ways
clients would like to work in the future, not
how they currently operate. In those instances,
unless someone on the client side is managing
the functional change from the old way of working
to the new one, the implementation of the design
may lead to a new space but unhappy workers.
No matter how successful designers are
at interpreting a client's vision, our work may
ultimately fail a postoccupancy evaluation.
As manipulators and creators of space,
we do not always acknowledge that our designs
eventually change clients' experiences, including
operational processes that are central to their
day-to-day work. This is where change management
becomes a necessary part of ensuring that designs
are successfully utilized once completed.
Why clients understand the value
of change management
A 2015 survey of more than 300 C-suite
leaders from companies of all sizes, conducted
by Raconteur and Google Cloud, found an average
120 percent positive return on investment in change
management programs. It also reported that
the most successful strategies included leadership
buy in, an impactful communications plan,
and effective training.
Chief financial officers, program directors,
and project managers from a variety of industries
are usually more than willing to properly transition
their workforce, especially when the original
investment is so large. Software companies
are excellent at coupling change management
and training as part of the cost of purchase and
implementation, so why shouldn't designers provide
similar services for large capital expenditures?

30

Enterprise software vendors have rigorous
built-in change management training programs
that are required for successful company-wide
integration. Without proper communication
and instruction, though, their software can
be underutilized or used incorrectly. The client's
stakeholders then become frustrated with
the change and its use, and would rather revert
back to the old way of doing things. Does this
sound familiar?
The value of change management
for design professionals
Following the programming and schematic
design phases, designers rarely receive access
to stakeholders during the remainder of a project
and after its opening. I have found that providing
change management services allows ongoing
access to all of the stakeholders from the C suite
through construction and postoccupancy of a
project. This is incredibly helpful in communicating
to all parties why specific design decisions
were made and in managing expectations before
everyone moves into the new space.
The data points used to measure a successful
change management program are the type that
designers would love to get their hands on during
a postoccupancy evaluation. These include metrics
on adoption, utilization, employee feedback,
behavioral change, key performance indicators,
and operational execution. Providing ongoing touch
points throughout the process, change management
services better position designers to be trusted
advisers within the C suite and enable invaluable
access and insight into an organization.
Putting change management into place
Executing change management does require
additional resources within a firm. Many design
firms seek out consultant partnerships, look
for new hires, or train existing staff to integrate
it into their offerings. As with LEED and other
certifications, a number of credentialing and
extended learning programs at well-known colleges
and universities provide excellent professional
development opportunities for future firm leaders.
A relatively new field, change management
was not a part of the standard business vernacular
until the 1990s, and it wasn't codified as an actual
discipline until the 2000s. This newness creates
a prime opportunity for the design profession
to embrace and lead a new service offering that
can be applied throughout the design timeline.
At the same time, change management processes
can provide vital feedback on a firm's current
design workflow and improve the chances
of clients' greater happiness with a new interior. c

contractdesign.com 	

SEPTEM BER 2017

PHOTOGRAPHY: CARL BOWER

COLUMNIST
http://www.evelynlee.com http://www.contractdesign.com/businesspractice http://www.contractdesign.com/businesspractice http://www.contractdesign.com
Contract Magazine - September 2017

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