Shift-and-sync

Disciplines > Change Management > Creating change > Shift-and-sync

Method | Example | Discussion | See also

Method

Make a planned set of changes and then pause to make sure the whole system is still working. Fix small problems to ensure the whole show is still working together as one before setting off on the next change.

Example

An organization which is slimming down its headquarters does it one department at a time, with a one month break between each departmental restructuring. During this time, remote divisions are scanned to see what changes they feel, and the structure of the department just changed may be readjusted to optimize service.

Discussion

A danger with large changes is that when things stabilize again, although parts of the system may work -- even the whole of the part that was changed, it is possible that the change may now be out of sync with its environment.

Shift-and-sync is a method used in software development, where changes to a large software product are regularly realigned and tested, to ensure that the system does not lose connection with its environment. The same principle is used here in human change, where small changes are punctuated with pauses to resynchronize and realign.

Pauses in a change program are also very helpful for letting people recover from the tension of change.