Frequently Asked Questions

What is this course about? This course develops your abilities to successfully design, implement and participate in a change process and also prepares you for the APMG Principles of Change Management Exam, which is offered on the final day of class. You learn how to build practical skill sets for delivering effective change within your workplace, including approaches to achieve buy-in and handle continuous change. With a sound strategy for managing change in place, you learn to apply specific approaches to facilitate workplace transformation. This course shows you how to build a toolkit of leading-edge change techniques, create a mental map for a vision of change and recognise the benefits change will bring to both you and your workplace. Who will benefit from this course? Anyone who must interact effectively with others to facilitate or direct change will find this course useful. Those who have others reporting to them or individuals who expect to take on management responsibilities in the future will also benefit. This course is also valuable for individuals wishing to achieve the APMG Principles of Change Management Certification. What background do I need? Everyone is affected by change. Therefore, this course is applicable to both those effecting and those affected by change in the workplace. All types of organisations-technical and non-technical, private and public, military and civilian, small and large-have sent participants to this course, with dramatic results. Why is managing change important? Never before have organisations been subjected to such rapid change and so many market pressures. Along with positive business results, change often brings serious side effects, such as change fatigue, which result in lowered morale and productivity. With an effective process to manage change in place, organisations can combat these negative side effects and become energised to realise their visions. In order to participate in organisation growth and personal development, individuals need an effective and empowering framework to manage change. Regardless of the organisation structure, success hinges on the effective use of managing change approaches at all organisational levels. Can you really learn how to effectively manage change? Yes. This course provides opportunities for you to practise strengthening and improving your skills to manage change. Through the creation and application of innovative techniques, and by using a practical approach, you develop a personal toolkit to deliver effective change. These practical tools and techniques are currently applied at leading and successful organisations worldwide. You leave the course with a greater understanding of what makes people willing to buy in to the proven benefits of effective change, and the confidence to apply the skills and techniques learned. What are the benefits of achieving the APMG Principles of Change Management Foundation Certification? The APM Group (APMG) is the international exam and accreditation authority responsible for offering ITIL and PRINCE2 TM certifications. Successful completion of the APMG certification demonstrates an individual's solid understanding of change and its benefits and impact on various parts of an organisation. Individuals with this certification are also able to more effectively react to change. The standard Learning Tree exam will continue to be provided for those who decline to take the APMG exam. Will I practice change management techniques in the classroom? Yes. Substantial time is devoted to practical workshops that reinforce real-world application. Working both individually and in teams, you work through a series of interactive exercises and workshops, using various tools and methods to successfully solve the challenges associated with managing change. Tools and activities include the following: Force Field Analysis Creating a compelling vision for change Developing an effective change communication process SWOT analysis Stakeholder analysis and expectation management Building a robust motivation strategy that supports change Identifying barriers to change and how to manage them Putting together an effective change team How much time is spent on each topic? Content Hours Managing change overview 2.0 Building a managing change framework 5.0 Assessing change impact and risk 2.0 Change and effective communication 3.0 Processes for successfully managing change 3.0 People and managing change 3.0 Effective measurement for managing change 3.0 Creating your change toolkit 2.0 Times, including the workshops, are estimates; exact times may vary according to the needs of each class. How much time is devoted to the workshops? Workshops form the backbone of this course, and are designed to be practical and thought provoking. A majority of class time is spent preparing for, participating in or exchanging information on a variety of individual and group activities related to real-world requirements. Throughout the course activities, you build your personal and customised toolkit, templates and guides for managing change. How is this course different from Course 381? Course 288 and Course 381, Business Process Re-engineering for Competitive Advantage, are complementary courses. Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) is a component of change management and often involves analysing customer values, workflow and structures. Once the BPR process is completed, the new paradigm for doing business will have to be implemented, almost certainly creating changes in the workplace. Course 288 focuses on bringing the BPR-generated change into reality by processing it through a managing change framework. BPR is process-specific, while managing change addresses whole organisation requirements. How is this course different from Course 342? Course 342, Software Change, Configuration and Release Management, focuses specifically on changes to computer hardware and software, whereas Course 288 addresses the range of issues faced when implementing the management of change within the workplace. This course creates an integrated approach to managing change at the organisational, people and process levels. Is this course applicable to a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification? Yes. Although this course is not designed as preparation for the exam, it is beneficial to anyone working toward PMI's PMP certification. For those who are currently certified, completion of this course counts as 23 professional development units (60 units must be completed every three years to maintain certification). For more details, please see the Learning Tree PMI Registered Education Provider Q&A. If you are an experienced project manager intending to take the PMP exam, you should take Course 276, Preparing for the Project Management Professional (PMP®) Exam. In this course you learn essential PMBOK® Guide terminology, tools and techniques. You gain practical test-taking experience through PMI-style practice exams and create your own personal study plan for continued use after the course. How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses? Learning Tree offers other courses in communication, management and planning. This course complements the following: 290, Management Skills provides new and experienced managers with the practical skills needed to lead effective teams of technical professionals. 296, Project Management: Skills for Success presents the skills needed for planning, organising, implementing and delivering successful projects using paper and PC-based techniques. 340, Project Management for Software Development provides insight into the software development process, including what to expect at each stage of development and how to tailor models to your environment. 294, Influence Skills: Getting Results Without Direct Authority focuses on the specific behaviours and attitudes that enable you to achieve desired results without relying on the use of authority. 246, Managing Information Overload: Techniques for Working Smarter provides the skills needed to process fast-paced information to develop a competitive edge. 187, ITIL® v2: Achieving Foundation Certification provides comprehensive coverage of ITIL Service Support and Service Delivery best practices. 211, Introduction to Business Analysis: Defining Successful Projects is valuable to those who need to apply the knowledge and skills of the business analyst role within their organisation.