Our economy is more interlinked today than it was ever before. The world is getting smaller by the day!
As more organizations undergo a digital transformation for speed and efficiency, they also subject themselves to continually shifting market conditions, changing customer demands, rapidly evolving technologies, and variable input costs. At the same time, they face cutthroat competition from all around the globe!
Change Management helps organizations overcome all of these challenges. Hence, it is as essential for a company as diversity and inclusion training.
What is Change Management?
As mentioned earlier, there are innumerable external factors that can contribute to the complete disruption of an organization’s social-economic framework and business model. So, if organizations have to survive in the 21st century, they should adapt to any situation.
Organizations should also constantly reevaluate their business model to match the consumer mindset better and dynamically align their business goals to changing trends.
Change Management is a process that helps businesses around the world, big or small, to tweak and modify their strategies and tactics in real-time, which allows them to achieve their long-term goals.
So, at its core, Change Management is essentially a constant practice of realigning the organization by carefully observing external factors.
Why Should You Get a Change Management Certification?
Unfortunately, there is a problem. Change Management might sound simple on paper but is extremely difficult in practice because it is directed towards people and their skills rather than tangible organizational assets.
When employees in an organization have been accustomed to a specific workflow and have honed their skills over many years, it could get chaotic to try and change it.
Other demons of change are:
- Resistance
- Hesitation
- Uncertainty
- Poor communication
To help an organization get through these, it has to hire Change Management professionals.
By getting a Change Management Certification, you set yourself up for global opportunities and paychecks extremely lucrative. More importantly, you become the go-to person for companies looking to work with a Change Management professional.
Things to Note Before Enrolling in a Change Management Certification
There are many programs out there. So, how can you be sure that you are getting into the best change management certification?
Here are some things to note and evaluate to figure out if the Change Management certification you are looking for is giving the best bang for the buck!
1. Price of the Certification
Change Management being such a lucrative position to hold, it is not surprising that certifications related to it are also quite expensive.
Change Management certifications can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to upwards of a few thousand dollars, each with its pros and cons. On a macroscopic level, the more expensive options certainly seem to be a better bet. However, not all can afford to spend that much, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution for this.
So, the best way to tackle this scenario is to lay down the budget first and then look only into those certification programs that fall within your budget and compare them against each other.
Often, suppose you are not paying for the certificate yourself, and it is sponsored by the company you are working for. In that case, you may even consider the more expensive ones as long as it falls within the company’s reimbursement budget.
2. Mode of Delivery
Once you have filtered the certifications based on their prices, the next thing you should have an eye out for is the mode of delivery.
While some prefer to learn a subject by attending in-person classes, several others, especially due to the coronavirus pandemic, are comfortable with the online mode of delivery. So, depending on what the course offers and what you are most comfortable with, your decision might change.
Be mindful of the fact that each has its pros and cons. In-person training will not allow you to stay within your comfort zone, but it could be more effective than conventional. An online certification program could be a bad choice if your internet is not reliable or does not have the best equipment.
3. Content and Resources in the Course
Evaluating a certification course’s contents and the resources they would provide upon enrolling are critical because that defines the entire course’s worth.
Firstly, evaluate the course contents based on their relevance to the present day. Change Management is all about dealing with the shifting trends. So, if the course contents have not been updated in a long time, that is a definite red flag!
Secondly, scrutinize what extra resources you are getting. Will the resources of the course benefit you professionally even after the course is over? Do you have lifetime access to the resources?
Last but not least, you may want to go the extra mile and figure out who put the content together or how it was put together.
4. Reputation and Credibility of the Certification
The internet is like a world of its own. There are many fake gurus and self-proclaimed experts in almost every field offering their courses.
You have to ensure that you opt for a course that is distinguished and reputed in companies all around the globe. To do this, you can talk to other Change Management professionals or course alumni on platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook.
It is always better to spend a little extra on the certification if that means enrolling in a more credible program.
5. Alternatives
Finally, check for alternatives. For example, suppose you are still in school or pursuing an undergraduate degree and want to pursue a career in Change Management. In that case, you can opt for courses in higher educational institutions that offer Change Management rather than getting certified externally.
Otherwise, if you have an extensive network within the corporate community, you might be able to land a job in the Change Management niche by learning it for free by yourself. There are plenty of resources available online. However, that is a somewhat risky path to take and will likely consume much more time.
Conclusion
In many cases, the return on investment on a Change Management certification program is incredibly high.
Before choosing a certification, be certain that you have done a thorough research and you are 100% confident about the program.
