"The only constant is change" "The soft stuff is the hard stuff".

Many businesses make the mistake of putting too little effort into the 'people' side of initiatives or projects and then wonder why implementation is less successful than expected. Why is this?

There are a number of reasons but one of the most important is that the intangible part of successful implementation is (much) more difficult to quantify in terms of monetary benefit. Consequently during the project this activity is often seen as optional (an 'if there is time' attitude). It is only afterwards, with the benefit of hindsight when implementation has failed in some way, that the people bit is seen to be a 'must do' not a 'nice to do'. By then it is often too late.

If you are involved in any change situations in your business, Catalyst can help you to address the 'soft' side by using a structured approach based on a flexible toolkit.

Key stages of our change model cover:

• Project set-up
• Making the business case
• Developing an appropriate vision
• Getting buy-in from staff at all levels
• Making sure the change(s) will last

Although each stage has its own particular tools the model can be used flexibly on a 'mix and match' basis as circumstances require. One thing is certain, no matter how big or small the project, there will be 'people' implications which could easily undermine its success.From rolling out a business-wide initiative to training specific people to use the tools or helping to facilitate change sessions, choose Catalyst as your partner to meet the 'soft' challenge!