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Are you preparing to launch a new project? If so, there are several things you should be checking off the to-do list, from carefully defining the necessary work to documenting goals, deadlines, and deliverables. Unless you fully understand the importance of project scope and having a risk plan, staying on track with the deadline and successfully completing the project will be tricky.

Before undertaking a project, understanding project objectives and identifying certain aspects is critical.

As a business leader – regardless of your industry, how long you've been in business, or your target audience – change management is always a consideration. Aligning your workforce for a positive change experience is the key to success in trying new business ventures. To ensure a smooth and stable transition, start with a strategic plan that includes best practices for change implementation and long-term success.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in April 2015 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – and probably again and again and again: the only constant in life is change. The problem with change, however, is that it can be negative; we must take care to ensure that we change in the right “direction” – that is, change should propel us forward rather than backward.

Struggling with change is common across the board – personally, socially, professionally, etc. Many organizations also struggle with change. Fewer problems would exist, however, if more companies took steps to reap the significant benefits of implementing change management.

There are a few fundamental reasons that organizational change efforts often fail. One common issue is the lack of know-how for establishing leadership roles and getting everyone onboard with the change. It’s vital for everyone involved in change management to understand the roles and responsibilities they hold.

Change isn’t easy but, as it’s been said, “the only constant in life is change.” Successfully managing change is crucial to successfully managing your business, and it requires an awareness of the roadblocks that might fall on your path as well as techniques to overcome or avoid them all together.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in August 2015 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

Are your business processes efficient? Inefficient processes negatively impact your position in the market, so fixing the flaws is vital to your success. The flaws, however, can be subtle and difficult to pinpoint.

Does your company struggle with making changes stick? Many companies have learned how to lead change through an eight-step approach that continues to gain advocates almost 20 years after its inception.

Today, with the internet and so many social media access points, we are bombarded with information about what is going on in the outside world. It's a bit like trying to take a sip of water from a fire hydrant — we only want a little bit of information, but we become overwhelmed with the outpouring of information available. Focus, therefore, is important, and deciding where and when to focus can be difficult.

To manage your business efficiently, you must develop clear processes that define the way you do business. An organization can be no better than its processes allow it to be, and improving those processes will create positive, lasting change.