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position to object can be included in the review, you can get those objections out in the
open early. That way, you can address their objections early on. Many people object to
changes simply because they were blindsided; by asking for their input before the change
is implemented, you can avoid that problem. Once the vision and scope document is
approved, it is much less likely that there will be surprises later on.

Schedule the changes

Once the team has approved the scope of the changes that will be made, it is time to
implement those changes. By updating the project schedule to include those changes, you
can make it more likely that they will actually be carried out on the project.
Building changes into the project schedule is an effective way to “seal them in” to guaran-
tee that they actually happen. Many changes unravel because while everyone agrees that
they are a good idea, they never actually make it into practice. By adding tasks to the
project schedule that reflect the change, you ensure that time and resources are dedicated
to implementing it. You also help the team members see that the change is coming, and
give them time to plan for it.

It’s also important to allocate time for training. You may understand the details of the new
tools and techniques, but many of the people on the project do not have that advantage.
Make sure to include meetings to introduce the team members to the new practices. If addi-
tional training sessions are necessary, schedule them as well. Plan to give the other people in
your organization the time they need to learn how to use the new tools and techniques. This
may mean adding time to tasks that will be done differently than in the past, due to the
changes. (Allow time for a learning curve—people will not be as efficient at using the new
tools and techniques initially as you hope they will become after some practice.)

For example, if you are implementing code reviews, you should add training and review
meetings to the schedule. You should also extend the programming tasks, in order to
allow the programmers time to make changes found during the review. When the sched-
ule acknowledges that additional time should be spent on these tasks, the programmers
are much more likely to actually perform the code review tasks.

NOTE
A more detailed process for scoping and planning an improvement
project is described in Making Process Improvement Work by Neil Potter and
Mary Sakry (Addison Wesley, 2002).

Push for Consensus
It’s difficult to change an organization alone. It is much easier to make a change if you
have the support of others in your organization. Identifying potential allies is an important
step in changing an organization. The most effective way to change an organization is to
build consensus within your project team, among your peers, and up through the man-
agement chain.

UNDERSTANDING CHANGE 223