Will Your Change Stick?
The answers to these questions can predict the success of your change
initiative.
Prudent leaders will ask them before undertaking systemic change.
1. Where are we going and why?
The more people there are in your organization who understand both the necessity and the goal of the change, the greater your chances for success. People who understand why things must change and who can envision the post-change future are more likely to embrace the change initiative and persist in spite of obstacles. Help everyone to understand and accept the change by sharing information up front.
2. Who is involved?
Ideally the answer should be “everyone”. The people who do the work are generally the best source of ideas for how to do it better. Those who are steeped in the organization’s history and culture often have valuable suggestions to contribute even if their work environment is not directly affected. Involvement fosters both understanding and commitment. Encourage ownership of the future by involving everyone in planning and discussing the change.
3. Will our culture work for or against this change?
Every organization develops a unique culture over time. Culture is like gravity: people rarely talk about it, but it affects everyone. Organizational culture can be your greatest ally in making change stick --- or it can derail the best-planned change initiative before it ever gets off the ground. Examine your organization’s culture carefully and with brutal honesty. Look for factors that will work for and against the change. The time to align your culture with the desired future state is before you introduce the change initiative.
4. How will people feel about having to change?
While understanding is a critical ingredient for the success of your program, it isn’t the only one. People are strongly invested in their work, especially if they have been doing it for some time. Any fundamental change in the work environment will have emotional as well as logistical repercussions. Since leadership usually initiates change, organizational leaders have the benefit of a head start in dealing with their feelings. Keep in mind that people who are hearing about the change for the first time will need to catch up before they can feel as positive as you do. The absence of immediate enthusiasm isn’t a negative reaction but a normal one; people need time to assimilate change.
5. How can we mitigate the fears associated with change?
Fear is the strongest of all the emotions stimulated by workplace change. Job loss, inability to learn, making mistakes and appearing incompetent are some of the more rational fears that accompany any major change at work. An organizational culture that emphasizes blame when mistakes occur can silently sink a change initiative. Help people overcome their fears of trying a new way. Provide ample training, coaching, feedback, and time to learn. When things to wrong, don’t ask “who?” --- ask “how?” and “what did we learn?”
6. Must we get everything right the first time?
No plan is perfect. No matter how much time and effort are invested in the plans for implementing a major change, there will always be some things that don’t go according to plan. Everyone involved in the change must learn to be comfortable with uncertainty; sometimes it’s simply impossible to know the right answer in advance. Examine the process, formulate a plan --- the simpler the better --- and try it out. If the results are unsatisfactory, figure out why, change the plan, and try again. Small pilot projects that implement one aspect of the change can minimize disruption and serve as excellent training grounds for planning more extensive changes.
7. How can we set people up to succeed?
Several important aspects of your workforce must be considered in order to make your change initiative successful:
- Understanding/commitment
- Emotional reactions
- Job skills
They should be addressed in this order; providing skills training to people who have not committed to learning something new --- or who are afraid to try --- is a waste of time and money. Helping people reach the necessary level of understanding and emotional readiness for change need not be expensive. The most effective vehicle for these transitions is honest, effective, two-way communication. Explain. Listen. Ask questions. Listen. Acknowledge. Listen. Clarify. Listen. Provide feedback. Listen!
8. What behaviors and attitudes should be reinforced?
Catching people doing something right has a more beneficial effect on the entire organization than catching people doing something wrong. Before introducing your change initiative, consider the attitudes and behaviors that will show you people are “getting it”. Have a plan in place to recognize as many people as possible as publicly as possible when they exhibit these behaviors. Lead by example --- be the change you wish to see. And don’t let the public recognition slide when things seem to be on the right track; motivation is just as important in sustaining a change as in starting one.
9. How will we know if it’s working?
If you don’t measure something, it’s difficult to tell whether it’s getting better. Measurements are essential to gauging the success of your change initiative. But avoid the temptation to measure too many things: it makes people nervous, it’s hard to keep up, and it complicates the overall picture. Metrics should not be a state secret; the people who work for you need a way to measure their achievements against your expectations. Present relevant measurements, updated regularly, in a simple graphic format posted for everyone to see. Be prepared to explain how each department’s work affects the measurement and how the metric is important to the organization.
10. How can we create a more change–capable organization?
In today’s business climate, change in your organization is unlikely to be a one-time thing. The first one is the hardest; if the first change initiative is handled with honesty, openness, and sensitivity to the experiences of human beings in transition, the organization becomes more change-capable with every subsequent change. The ability to lead change effectively comes from deep inside; it involves our beliefs about the change and beliefs about the people involved. Belief leads leaders. Cultivating our own adaptability and resilience is a key factor in leading change effectively. Another key ingredient is viewing power as the capacity to accomplish rather than the capacity to control. If we can succeed in empowering others to embrace change, the job of leadership becomes one of creating and propagating an environment that attracts competency and engenders commitment. This job is much more challenging, but also more satisfying, than deciding what people need to do and telling them to do it.
© Positive Impact Associates, Inc.
