It is important to achieve final results rather than tactical achievements. For the project, considering the management change shadows the long-term success of the enterprise

Shafiq Ur Rehman ; in my opinion, every project is short-term, some is long-term. This change is important, but it must be in a good planning scheme. In other words, a good change is a change planned in a long-term project.

Change in management comes with injection of fresh ideas. So, for a firm to drive success, it must first of all embrace and meet the conditions requiring the change. Such should include the individual(s) leading the change process. Improper articulation of necessary conditions and circumstances especially its effect on the team may be disastrous for corporate survival and the needed success.

Dear Shafiq,

All projects, big and small, short term and long term, involve some degree of changing. Project management techniques allow project managers to improve their success rate. Change management is one of those proved techniques.

How important is change management? It depends on the project type and scope. In order to be really useful, the project manager must select between different theories and methods (Lewin's, Kotter's, ADKAR, etc) and apply the one that best adapts to the project's needs.

In other words, from my viewpoint as a project manager, Change Management is as important as Risk management, Time Management, Budget Management, etc. and its relative value varies from project to project.

The most important action, in my experience and in my reading, is sustaining change management throughout the change process. Many problems arise when changes are launched without attention to ongoing leadership for change, incorporating new organization members into the change, and periodically revisiting the important question of whether the change is achieving its goal(s).

In any project, there would be some adjustments or changes to be made. at this stage, we would rely on how members of the project's team embrace the change especially the leaders; and how they will take on board all team members by clear communication, motivational and inspiring attitude to successfully implement the change and lead the project to the end.

An organization’s strategic deliberations often trigger the need for change. Whether it is through identifying risks, opportunities or efficiencies, it implies that there is a need for change. Change is difficult to implement without strategic direction from leaders, who are typically the sponsors of such change. And with that comes the accountability to respond positively and courageously to the change. It also demands that management demonstrate their active support in a way that genuinely embraces the new ways of being and doing. Because we all respond to change in different ways, project success hinges on visibly embracing change that encourages the rest of the organisation to do the same. Leaders need to be emphatic about the need for change while being empathetic to the struggle of some to embrace the change. In my experience, project success is near impossible without these factors.

Change in management is often decisive as Okwuagwu and Tichy pointed out as new managers may not be capable of keeping the strategic direction which often is unclear to those who didn't participate in the project from inception. A new manager, especially an outsider tends to conceal misunderstandings of predecessors' problem-solving logic, the know-how and phronesis (Greek for practical wisdom) used in previous stages and repeat mistakes which predecessors learned their lessons; managerial "fresh blood" amid long-term project often leads astray if new managers are not vulnerably involved and learn from locals. See my book.