In a recent HRB article, author Ron Ashkenas rightly points out that most of change management efforts fail because it is a task often relegated to HR or an outside consultant. He and most of those who replied to his article make the common sense assertion that change management efforts should be the purview of the leader/manager. If we surveyed a hundred managers, the majority would probably agree that it is their job to manage change.

Then why do managers often look to HR or consultants to take on the role  of change managers? Based on observations in client organizations, I offer some ideas:

1. Managers are most often held accountable for meeting schedule milestones and budget targets, not for change management results (i.e. people fully committed to new ways of performing).
2. Change management is often misunderstood or confused with communication (telling people what to do and expecting commitment) and/or training (teaching skills expecting that people will know to apply them appropriately).
3. Change management is often viewed as the ‘soft stuff’ nobody wants to deal with. After all, it’s easier to manage gantt charts, schedules, and budgets than the people side of things.
4. The common view that managers shouldn’t have to cajole people into change. That may be true but then again, cajoling is not change management.
5. A lack of a practical set of tools for managing change. Managers have tools to manage budgets and schedules. They have tools for managing performance. But often, the lack the tools and knowledge to manage change.

So, whose job is it anyway? Well, most would agree that it is the manager’s job to manage change. But as long as these factors remain, change management will continue to be a ‘task’ delegated as a ‘work stream’ performed by HR or an outside consultant. The key is to embed change management capability into the organization in such a way that it becomes an integral and expected part of the job of every leader and manager in the organization.