University ITSM

Our change management procedure was created out of audit concerns. We wanted to ensure that changes to productions were properly approved and documented. Many Universities adopt change management for the same reason--to satisfy audit requirements.

I recently took the PMP exam, which requires you to study Human Resource Management. One of the HR theories you learn is Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory, which basically says that some things motivate people (are "motivators"), and other things are just necessary (are "hygiene factors"). For example, being paid is a hygiene factor--you must get paid to work, but after a certain point salary is not going to motivate you any more. Having authority, on the other hand, may continue to motivate someone.

Anyways, when an organization decides that they are going to implement change management due to an audit concern, they are treating change management as a hygiene factor. You must have change management to satisfy minimum standards.

However, although true this is a dangerous argument for change management. If you primarily push for change management as a way to mitigate audit concerns then you will be stuck once those audit concerns are taken care of. Change management will be seen as "a necessary evil" rather than as a process to enable your organization.

It's not necessarily a bad thing to justify change management in terms of audit concerns, but be looking for how change management could turn from a hygiene factor into a motivator. For example, start showing people how change management can improve your first-fix rate by identifying the causes of incidents. Start showing people the metrics you can gather and use to manage your department.