"Change is the only constant in life." Heraclitus, Greek philosopher.
Recently, we surveyed over 200 Kiwi businesses with 40% of them indicating they were likely to go through a transformation or change project in the next year.
Having knowledge of the change and transformation process, its impact on our people and how to effectively prepare and lead them through change is crucial. 鈥淐hange is hard. People naturally resist change, especially if it鈥檚 imposed on them.鈥 Jim Henderling, change and transformation expert and author.
Just as important as the 鈥渂usiness side鈥 of change and transformation is your ability to identify and communicate a powerful 鈥榳hy鈥, which becomes the motivation and inspiration to drive the change and transformation.
Change and transformation might feel daunting so we鈥檝e created this guide to equip you in making change and transformation more empowering and less exhausting, the 鈥榩hone a friend鈥 edition, if you will.
In this guide we鈥檒l look at:
Let鈥檚 start with the 鈥榃hy鈥.
When you鈥檙e dealing with something as complex as organisational change or transformation it鈥檚 always good to understand why it鈥檚 happening.
When you鈥檙e trying to convince adults to do anything, there has to be a purpose.
We鈥檒l also look at the subtle but impactful differences between organisational change and organisational transformation. Understanding the difference between the two will help ensure you鈥檙e taking the right approach.
And, what would an in-depth guide to organisational change be without covering the four main principles of change?
2020.
Chances are that this short sentence will bring up many memories and emotions, good and bad.
A year of seemingly endless change.
Ready or not, we had to adapt to keep up with what was happening across the globe.
Some organisations needed to change the way they communicate and where their kaimahi work.
Other organisations had to overhaul their entire way of working, otherwise they would cease to exist.
Restaurants were one of the industries greatly affected by these external circumstances. There was an urgent need for them to change and transform. One such business was fast-food restaurant Chipotle.
In 2018 Chipotle adapted their counter service to something viable, with .
This drive-through service aimed to provide customers with the same great Mexican food, in the comfort of their own car.
Customers can choose their preferred pickup option when ordering through the Chipotle app.
When 2020 hit, 鈥淐hipotle successfully navigated the first quarter with digital sales growing more than 80% year over year鈥 (Chipotle Continues Accelerated Growth with the 100th Chipotlane and 10,000 new jobs).
They not only managed to stay afloat, but to grow and expand, by adapting their service delivery to accommodate the government鈥檚 stay-at-home directive.
According to , only 34% of change initiatives succeed.
Here鈥檚 what 2020 taught us:
The world is ever-changing and change happens fast. So, organisations need to be able to adapt to internal and external change drivers, which may be:
Being able to adapt in an agile manner should be an integral part of business as usual.
Author and anthropologist Jamais Cascio reflected on the rapidly changing post-Covid world and created the acronym BANI, to align more with our new reality. A reality that is Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear and Incomprehensible. We鈥檝e taken a look at the skills needed by kaimahi to be able to navigate this new reality.
READ: Mastering BANI - Transforming the way we approach learning design
Change is an important aspect of our modern-day world, but what exactly is organisational change and is it the same as organisational transformation?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary鈥檚 definition of change includes: 鈥榯o make different in some particular (Alter)鈥 or 鈥榯o make radically different (transform)鈥. Some believe that change usually involves a small part of the organisation and transformation involves a complete overhaul of the organisation, to enhance both operational and financial performance.
It may be that we don鈥檛 focus on whether something is a change or a transformation, but apply the same principles in both circumstances and realise the impact both may have on our kaimahi and customers.
Dr John Kotter, professor, speaker and author of Leading Change, created an award-winning methodology, that involves four core change principles, as part of the approach he believes produces lasting change:
It鈥檚 important to distinguish between these two terms. They鈥檙e both crucial but each brings something different to the organisational change and transformation process.
The organisations that succeed in the transformation process, apply both change management and change 小优传媒 strategies.
DOWNLOAD: Preparing Managers and Leaders for Change [Worksheet]
鈥淏y combining the stability and predictability anchored by management with the speed and innovation inspired by 小优传媒, organisations can move faster and with more reliability.鈥
This core principle sets out to answer the question: 鈥榃hat鈥檚 in it for me?鈥
Data and analytics may increase the heart rate and call to action for some. For most people, though, it needs to appeal to their emotions and speak to the inherent human nature of wanting to be a part of a bigger goal.
Our kaimahi are people. Organisational change involves:
That鈥檚 where the role of Change Leaders is crucial.
But why?
We all know the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Yet, the motivation and desire to exercise and stop a Netflix series to go to bed early, is difficult for most. Getting others motivated to work towards a common goal with better outcomes, can be just as hard.
Kotter spent decades researching how people are motivated to change and came to the conclusion that it can be done successfully by answering one question:
鈥榃丑测?鈥
The importance of this question is frequently overlooked in the organisational change process, with the focus being 鈥榃hat is changing?鈥 and 鈥楬ow will it happen?'.
Kotter believes that 鈥渆very team member is different. Success demands using slightly different messages to best engage the diverse people on your team.鈥
In summary, help your people to:
DOWNLOAD: Speaking to Hearts and Minds [Worksheet]
If the 鈥榳hy鈥 of your organisational change is communicated strongly and effectively, kaimahi might be inspired to step forward and take action, as they鈥檒l be invested in the bigger goal.
Insurance providers, AIA, have a 鈥榳hy鈥 that is focused transforming the way life insurance is perceived. As part of this mission, they launched AIA Vitality, a program aimed at improving health and wellbeing.
AIA gave their people free access to experience this program for themselves and, within three weeks of the launch, 80% of them were actively engaged.
Not only did it link strongly to their 鈥榳hy鈥 and provide the kaimahi with the know-how of this new programme by learning as they went; it also inspired and motivated them to become change agents for the program.
Another organisation that operates with a very strong 鈥榳hy鈥 is Lego. is to 鈥業nspire and develop the builders of tomorrow鈥. Everything else they develop is aligned to that mission.
Imagine what a difference it makes, when there needs to be change and transformation and when asked why it鈥檚 necessary, it can be tied back to inspiring and developing the builders of tomorrow.
That鈥檚 powerful!
For most of us, being told we 鈥榟ave to鈥 do something, evokes a strong reaction and resistance. If a manager tells you that you have to be a part of this change and transformation, because it鈥檚 your job, you might initially agree to do it. The moment there are any barriers or obstacles, feelings of 鈥榮ee, I knew this wasn鈥檛 a good idea and wouldn鈥檛 work鈥 might pop up.
Just think about how many people volunteer to be firefighters and paramedics or offer their time and resources to raise funds and awareness for worthy causes.
Feeling that you can play a role in something that can make a difference is powerful!
Kotter鈥檚 tips for creating a 鈥榳ant to鈥 mindset with kaimahi:
It鈥檚 very easy to have a few go-to people that you know will get the job done.
It鈥檚 those dependable and trustworthy individuals within the organisation. With organisational change and transformation...
It takes a village!
Relying on a specific and small group of experts or 鈥榮elect few鈥 leads to a very narrow approach to organisational change and won鈥檛 be able to account for how large-scale transformation will affect the entire organisation.
The impact will be clearly seen in the 鈥榞o-live phase.鈥
DOWNLOAD: Engaging the 'Select Few' and the 'Diverse Many [Worksheet]
Kaimahi might see this as a top-down change they 鈥榟ave to鈥 apply to their day-to-day. Something that they had no input in or control over and that they鈥檙e not invested in.
For organisational change and transformation to be successful, a shift has to be made from the 鈥榮elect few鈥 to include the perspectives of the 鈥榙iverse many鈥. More of the kaimahi need to be involved at every stage of the change process.
In Te Ao M膩ori there's a whakatauki which reads:
N膩u te rourou, n膩ku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi.
With your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive
talks to community, to collaboration and a strengths-based approach. It acknowledges that everybody has something to offer, a piece of the puzzle, and by working together we can all flourish.
This doesn鈥檛 discredit the 鈥榮elect few鈥.
There are various ways in which the 鈥榮elect few鈥 can be instrumental in various roles throughout the process, for example subject matter experts (SMEs), such as developers or acting as Change Agents or Champions.
Being able to respond successfully to change, will set you apart from other organisations.
Many organisations have a willingness to change, but only a few succeed. According to a , one third of CEO's admit they've failed to achieve desired outcomes in previous change attempts.
In some instances, old processes and barriers are not identified and removed, leading to logistical nightmares.
Transformation expert, Martin Danoesastro mentioned in his TedTalk, that 鈥淐hange is not only about embracing the new, it鈥檚 also about giving up some of the old as well.鈥
He then proceeds to ask the question: 鈥淲hat are you willing to give up to change the way we work?鈥
Not quite the warm fuzzies you might have hoped for, but rest assured, being ready for a change initiative has many benefits and makes the journey easier for those involved. To find out if you are ready for change, conduct a change readiness assessment.
A change readiness assessment evaluates an organisation's ability to successfully carry out a proposed change. This includes assessing the organisation's capacity, resources, and culture to handle the transformation.
We鈥檒l get to the how-to in a moment, but first, let鈥檚 consider the benefits of a change readiness assessment.
They say, a change is as good as a holiday.
But are you ready for change?
A change readiness assessment will help you determine your business's readiness to roll out and accept the change, while also looking at the big picture of initiation, follow-through and maintaining the change and transformation.
By doing a change readiness assessment you are determining whether the:
There is a wide range of factors that can halter change, especially as it concerns people and the culture of the organisation.
Here are three of the most common:
Be detailed in your description of this change and transformation.
This will be helpful for others who haven鈥檛 had insight into the thought processes that led to this change.
DOWNLOAD: Selling the Benefits of a Change Readiness Assessment [Worksheet]
Decide on the tools you want to use: This will be unique for each organisation, depending on what communication methods are most effective with your team.
It may include a combination of tools to get a thorough understanding of the change readiness. Tools may include:
Explain the purpose of the change: Why it is important and what the potential benefits will be for the kaimahi?
This information will come from your reflections in the point above.
Use your tools to determine awareness: of the proposed change at every level of the organisation, to determine kaimahi鈥檚 willingness to participate in the change and what they feel they might require to be able to effectively and successfully participate in the change e.g. additional training, resources etc.
Also use it as an opportunity for kaimahi to ask questions, voice concerns and to provide transparent feedback.
Lastly, summarise and analyse the findings.
Use the analysed findings to compare the factors that can support and deter the change and transformation process.
鈥淭o sum up, the more data that is collected about an organisation鈥檚 readiness for change, the easier it will be to design a change plan that is suitable 鈥 and, as a result, change projects will be more successful.鈥
Okay, so you have decided your organisation needs some kind of change...
You鈥檝e taken time to assess all the risk factors and you鈥檝e conducted your change readiness assessment.
Now it鈥檚 time for the rubber to hit the road!
A change management plan is a detailed outline of the 鈥榳hat, why, how and who鈥 of change. It ensures everyone鈥檚 on the same page, disruption is kept to a minimum and efficiency is maximised.
Nulab lists to creating a change management plan:
Much like the first step in the Change readiness assessment, you鈥檒l define the proposed change in detail. This time however, you鈥檒l include objectives and key results.
John Doerr, engineer, investor and author of 鈥楳easure what matters鈥, breaks down objectives and key results as follows:
We鈥檝e all heard of SMART objectives.
Objectives which are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time sensitive. For example: Grow sales revenue 15% by the end of the financial year.
These kinds of objectives are clear and to 鈥搕he point, but they lack inspiration.
It鈥檚 hard to get buy-in without context.
The most important question you need to be able to answer is 鈥榳hy?鈥. Develop a clear and compelling sense of why. Your objectives will be shaped by your why.
I want to achieve颅颅 颅颅________, because ________.
To survive, a business must be able to change.
It鈥檚 important to identify all stakeholders involved in each stage of the change and transformation process.
This stakeholder analysis will enable you to identify any possible gaps, where work needs to be outsourced or additional kaimahi/contractors appointed.
As well as assigning responsibility, you need to make sure that each stakeholder is empowered to take on this responsibility, by having the tools and resources they need.
This step is crucial in empowering your team to take ownership and accountability within this process. It shares responsibility and also gives your team the opportunity to hone their 小优传媒 skills as they move towards their goals.
鈥淐hange cannot be led by leaders telling their people what to do, when to do it and how to do it. The role of leaders is to ensure that all teams are aligned with the common purpose/the why, then let go and trust their teams in making the right decisions on how to get there. Open and transparent communication is necessary.鈥
Your timeline should show all your deliverables and project milestones.
This gives stakeholders a clear understanding of the expected time frames, provides opportunities to flag anything that might push out the timeline and celebrate the milestones as they get completed.
A budget enables you to have the necessary tools and resources at every stage so you can implement each step.
A change management budget will be influenced by the level of change and transformation you want to achieve.
Measuring success doesn鈥檛 only include reaching the milestones throughout the project; it stretches far beyond that.
Before the change and transformation is rolled out, think what specifically you want to achieve.
Data and metrics can provide a good indication of how successful the change and transformation process has been, but it shouldn鈥檛 be limited to only that, otherwise the most important aspect or heart of the matter will be missing.
More on this in Chapter 9.
According to data from the average lifespan of
500 Index companies has shortened considerably in the last 75 years.
小优传媒鈥檚 research of over 200 businesses in New Zealand found that 40% of organisations have indicated they鈥檙e likely to go through change within the next 12 months, and most of these businesses have indicated that they鈥檒l require external support.
Make sure that the whole change and transformation process is documented in a clear and easily understandable way.
Where possible and appropriate, make use of visuals to convey information. If there are any handovers or outsourcing during the process, it should be seamless and easy to understand from the documentation provided.
Take the time to reflect and update the change management plan on a regular basis.
This will ensure it is current and accurate for various teams who are using this as their single source of the truth.
鈥淭ransformation is a system of systems, all made up of the most complex system of all 鈥 people.鈥 HBR,
Implementation is where many organisations focus their time and energy鈥 and also where it often goes horribly wrong.
In fact, , 70% of change programs fail to achieve their goals, largely due to employee resistance and lack of management support. We also know that when people are truly invested in change it is 30% more likely to stick.
Sometimes it鈥檚 easy to forget you鈥檙e dealing with people.
If your kaimahi haven鈥檛 been properly prepared for change it鈥檚 likely that the process won鈥檛 be as smooth as you鈥檙e hoping.
Engaging your kaimahi through something like an internal marketing campaign helps people to feel involved in the process.
There are a number of different models you could use, but the easiest is ADKAR; Here we鈥檙e focused on boosting awareness of the change and desire for the change.
With everyone on board, it鈥檚 time to steer the ship during the implementation.
This is where you build on the knowledge and ability.
The implementation phase is where learning and development can be a fantastic ally.
To build on the knowledge of our kaimahi, a variety of resources should be created, such as workshops, eLearning, podcasts, QRGs etc.
It鈥檚 important to make sure the solution hits the mark for your learners.
Their engagement is important in achieving the Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), as set out by the business.
That鈥檚 why you should involve your end-users from the beginning, or co-design phase. Listen to what motivates and inspires them, what barriers they face and what they want to see in their learning. These conversations will shape your solution.
There will be continued application and support required for kaimahi, after the go-live date.
This could include refresher courses, development of any other deliverables to support areas of development still required, 1:1 check-ins with leaders/buddies, team conversations, peer-to-peer support etc.
The 鈥楲eap and Hops鈥 pattern of organisational change performance demonstrates well that there will be a big change (leap), followed by a series of smaller adjustments/changes (hops) that will occur over the change and transformation period.
According to by Robert Half Management Resources, 65% of 300 senior managers surveyed agreed that communicating clearly and frequently was "...most important when leading your company through a major change..."
Communication is essential in any relationship.
It鈥檚 such a simple concept.
But when it鈥檚 neglected, you can definitely see the destructive impact it has.
Open and transparent communication is about more than just conveying and receiving information, it鈥檚 about building trust.
Being proactive about communicating the why, the what and the how of change and transformation, will contribute to building trust and getting your people inspired and motivated to join you on this new journey.
The process continues when you provide ample opportunity to listen to concerns, feedback and questions.
This may seem tricky in large organisations, where there are many moving parts, but without exception (and regardless of size), a clear communication strategy is invaluable.
A communications strategy details the messages, tone, language, methods etc. that will form part of the internal and external communication with all stakeholders.
This ensures greater consistency in what is being communicated and more importantly how it is being communicated.
Your leaders can be amazing at what they do in their day-to-day communication with their teams, but don鈥檛 assume they will be able to convey the change that is coming in an effective way.
After all there are many ways to say: Change is coming. It will all be okay.
Let鈥檚 explore a few tips on communication before and during organisational change and transformation.
Planning is key.
Spend time thinking about what you want to convey, how you want it to be delivered and what follow-up opportunities will be provided. It needs to be one authentic voice.
If there鈥檚 a thorough understanding of the why, a person will be able to authentically convey the need for and benefits of change and transformation.
If not, there鈥檚 a big chance that it鈥檒l come across as scripted (read: a process of enforcement rather than one of collaboration).
Your leaders people skills of will be tested throughout the process.
So, make sure that all levels of 小优传媒 and management first understand the context around the change and second, are able to convey it in a way that demonstrates authenticity and responsibility鈥 not just authority.
Kaimahi will look to their leaders to see if they too are supportive of the change and transformation and to answer any queries that will spring from uncertainty about what鈥檚 to come.
However you decide to communicate the change, follow these three rules:
It鈥檚 important to continually communicate throughout the change management process.
A cursory email or team meeting won鈥檛 be enough.
Think about the key messages you need to get across at different milestones in your project.
Sean Conner spoke about how the marketing strategy of saying something seven times, can also be applied elsewhere, in his blog 鈥鈥:
鈥淵ou must 鈥榮ay it seven times鈥 before a message sticks.
Information expands our context.
Hearing it for the first time, we become aware of it.
As we hear it again, we begin to think critically about it.
And through thinking about it, we gain the ability to act on it, to internalise the information as part of our context that we can then use to guide our actions and behaviours.
Repetition of the message helps move us through these phases. Saying it seven times doesn鈥檛 mean you have to just verbally say it over and over. You can reinforce the message through multiple mediums.鈥
鈥淵ou must 鈥榮ay it seven times鈥 before a message sticks."
Regular check-ins and new internal resources shared through the process can help with this. Receiving feedback can help you to identify areas of further development and need, e.g. whether any additional tools or training are needed by kaimahi.
Create opportunities to give feedback to the team on how you鈥檙e tracking.
It鈥檚 encouraging for people to see progress and will help to maintain the motivation and energy levels. Don鈥檛 forget to celebrate the progress.
It鈥檚 no surprise that the fear of change is right up there with the fear of death, spiders and rejection.
As with any of these fears, it elicits a strong emotional response programmed as part of our genetics to maximise our chances of survival.
To understand why change can be such a challenge, let鈥檚 take a closer look at the human biology that impacts how we respond to change.
Humans are naturally wired to resist uncertainty.
The nature of change means it naturally holds a degree of uncertainty, even if it has been planned to a tee. According to , our brain has a hunger for certainty.
When we experience uncertainty, our limbic system is alerted, causing us to worry and to speculate, to create some sense of certainty.
Another reason for this type of response to change is that it鈥檚 tough for humans to let go of the old and to embrace the new, even if it鈥檚 a much shinier future that awaits us.
Kotter describes this reaction to the unknown as a mechanism he calls our 鈥鈥:
The other side of the coin is that the human brain has a great ability to adapt to change and can be trained to thrive in uncertainty.
Kotter explains that humans have a desire for innovation and seeking opportunities. He calls this mechanism the 鈥鈥:
Change and transformation triggers our innate human nature in so many ways.
There are a few challenges linked to this that you can expect to encounter along the way. We鈥檝e taken a look at three of the challenges to hearts and minds when it comes to change.
Imagine this:
You have been given $100 to spend in an auction. You are presented with a mystery item, that鈥檚 covered up. The value of the item could be immense, or it may be worth nothing. You know there is an item you鈥檝e wanted for some time, that will be coming up later in the auction.
Do you take the chance of the mystery item or save the $100 for the known item?
鈥淔or most people, the fear of losing $100 is more intense than the hope of gaining $150.鈥 , Nobel Prize-winning psychologist
In their research, renowned psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Abel Tversky concluded that 鈥榣osses loom larger than gains鈥 and that most people have an aversion to loss.
Most people naturally have an aversion to things they consider high risk. This tendency strongly outweighs the thrill of winning - even when the odds are good!
For businesses, especially those that have been very stable and successful, this can present a big challenge. People in these environments will typically not be enthusiastic about change if they feel that the reward doesn鈥檛 greatly outweigh the risk.
This might not seem like a challenge, especially if everyone is collectively working towards achieving the set milestones.
The challenge will come when there鈥檚 resistance or a general sense of loss-aversion. That鈥檚 when you need those who see this change and transformation as an opportunity, rather than a risk, and decide not to conform to the majority thinking, but to speak up and act.
The early adopters are crucial as they will start campaigning to get others on board.
Many conformity experiments have been conducted to show the impact the majority opinion has on individuals.
A popular example is the .
In each round the participants are shown three lines of different lengths (A, B and C).
They鈥檙e then asked to match the length of line X, to either A, B or C. In the last round, all participants except one were asked to provide the same incorrect answer on purpose.
The goal of the experiment was to see if the sole participant would still give the correct answer, even if it was in conflict with everyone else, who provided the same incorrect answer.
After 12 trials, 75% of participants confirmed at least once during the trials while only 25% did not.
Humans have a desire for stability and certainty. We can adapt and handle change, but when there are constant changes, we start to experience loss of ownership and control and confusion. When humans continue to experience these emotions, it leads to a condition called change fatigue, also known as change saturation.
鈥淭he amount of change employees can absorb without fatigue 鈥 negative reactions to change such as burnout, frustration, or apathy 鈥 has plummeted at a time when more change is precisely what organisations need in order to reset,鈥 Jessica Knight, vice president in the Gartner HR practice.
Change fatigue can show itself in a variety of symptoms:
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In this time when the ability to change has become a big part of business as usual, rather than one of events, organisations are placing emphasis on resilience.
While resilience is an incredibly useful skill to develop, kaimahi may start to experience an 鈥榓ll on me鈥 feeling, i.e. "my organisation expects me to be resilient enough to cope with the frequent changes and if I鈥檓 experiencing the symptoms listed above, that鈥檚 all on me".
The Harvard Business Review suggests leaders can make use of to collectively combat change fatigue:
Change and transformation expert and author, Jim Hemerling, has dubbed this an era of 鈥榗onstant transformation鈥.
If an organisation is going to sail through the rough waters of change and transformation on a regular basis, how can leaders navigate them effectively and, perhaps more importantly, how might they derail the process?
Leaders play a big role in whether change feels empowering or exhausting for your people.
Let鈥檚 look at how leaders can get in the way of organisational change.
Waiting Too Long to Implement |
This frequently leads to full-on crisis mode, dealt with usually in one of two ways.
Firstly, the focus is placed on obtaining short-term results.
When there鈥檚 a strong focus on short-term goals the long-term vision of a hopeful future that links to the strong 鈥榳hy鈥 usually gets lost, as little time is spent thinking about and planning the bigger picture.
The second way in which a crisis mode is dealt with is taking a superficial one-off approach, with the expectation that it will return to business-as-usual straight after the crisis has subsided.
Again, this solution doesn鈥檛 bring about true change and transformation where the impacts will be seen for years to come.
Much like a crash course before an exam, these approaches may allow organisations to cope with the crisis in the moment, but are unlikely to empower our people to deal with change and transformation over the long term.
Underestimating Scope and Overestimating Capacity |
Change is a lengthy process that鈥檚 likely to stretch over months. It鈥檚 not a quick fix.
Change also involves many players.
That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 important to have a team dedicated to your change project. This team of experts should include leaders, Comms, Learning and Development and Support.
Even though each of these players will be involved in various stages of the process, it鈥檚 important that they鈥檙e engaged and have an overview of the entire process.
Many first-time change leaders experience that it was . Leaders also expected their teams to be able to work on the change and transformation project on top of their usual day-to-day responsibilities.
鈥淭ransformational change starts with an honest acknowledgement of how hard the work will be, how much capacity and discipline the organisation actually has, and the personal commitments of sponsoring executives to change first. Further, communicating change effectively requires listening to the organisation twice as much as telling the organisation about the change.鈥
Being Afraid to Share a Personal 'Why' |
For many leaders there鈥檚 a very personal 鈥榳hy鈥 behind the proposed change and transformation.
Added to that will sometimes be a promotion. Because of this many leaders choose not to disclose their personal why and to disconnect themselves from the process.
This is not usually to their advantage as your people are usually smart enough to see right through it.
When leaders are, however, passionate about the cause and conveying that passion and conviction honestly to their people, it can open the floor for other leaders and teams to share how their own personal why connects to this.
People respond to honesty and leaders that are invested and working hard alongside the rest of the organisation to achieve the set milestones.
So how do leaders truly lead through change? Jim Hemerling states that it鈥檚 putting people first.
He mentions five deliberate essentials organisations should focus on to do this:
Head back to the Head and Hearts section to read more about this.
Oftentimes organisations disguise big reshuffling and layoffs under the term 鈥榯ransformation鈥. Yes, transformation will involve making changes and difficult decisions, but it鈥檚 more than that.
To go all in means to think about:
Consider what capabilities your people will need to succeed during the process and beyond.
The continued application and support that鈥檚 needed is often neglected. This is a crucial part of the change process and speaks to the 鈥楻einforcement鈥 section (to sustain the change) in the ADKAR model.
Learning shouldn鈥檛 be an isolated event.
It鈥檚 something that we鈥檙e naturally programmed to want to do.
Think about your inclination when watching a series or a movie based on true events. You can鈥檛 wait to pause and quickly Google how far removed it is from what actually happened...
Humans are curious.
READ: 5 Actionable ways to create a culture of learning in your organisation
Good leaders are directive and inclusive.
Being directive involves having a vision, a clear roadmap with milestones and communicating this effectively to your people. This lets teams know what is expected of them and experience a sense of safety, security and accountability through that.
Being inclusive involves speaking to the hearts and minds of their people.
Leaders do this by engaging with their people, asking about what they鈥檙e experiencing and seeing and encouraging open conversation and debate.
With inclusive 小优传媒, people will feel comfortable sharing their ideas and suggestions and inclusive leaders will be open to accepting and implementing them, if they are of benefit to the change and transformation process.
If kaimahi aren鈥檛 seeing 小优传媒 walk the talk themselves the best comms in the world will be pointless.
鈥淥ver the past decade, I have watched more than 100 companies try to remake themselves into significantly better competitors. A few of these corporate change efforts have been very successful. A few have been utter failures. Most fall somewhere in between, with a distinct tilt toward the lower end of the scale.鈥 John Kotter,
Kotter mentions two general lessons he鈥檚 learnt over the years, when it comes to business transformation:
He鈥檚 also come across many other errors that frequently occur in the business transformation process.
Think about an example such as body transformation.
There are usually good and urgent reasons for spurring someone into action.
Maybe it鈥檚 an upcoming event, like a reunion or tropical holiday, or a health scare bringing home the realities of what could happen if nothing changes.
Whatever the reason, it鈥檚 usually motivating and urgent enough to bring about action and dedication.
This is exactly the same for organisations.
A reason, such a massive losses, can evoke fear and anxiety, but also be a strong motivator for change and transformation. The problem usually comes when 小优传媒 find themselves on either side of the patience scale.
Some are too patient, failing to create and communicate a sense of urgency effectively.
Others are too impatient, not spending enough time on the planning and a strong why, but just wanting to get on with the doing part of it. Then you get the last group who are paralysed focusing on everything that could go wrong.
According to Harvard Business Review, 75% of an organisation鈥檚 management should be convinced that current business-as-usual is totally unacceptable. Anything less can produce very serious problems later on in the process.
Many organisations choose to make use of 小优传媒 team members only to steer and champion the process.
It needs to be wider than that, otherwise it might come across as a top-down initiative. If it involves change that will impact the whole organisation, it is definitely important to have the CEO champion it and likewise a key line manager if it involves a certain aspect of the organisation.
To get buy-in from kaimahi, it needs to include a group that operates outside of the usual hierarchy. The members should be well respected and have influence.
There are a few errors that can occur when it comes to celebration. One is not having short-term goals or milestones to celebrate and the second is declaring victory too early.
Not having short-term goals or milestones is the equivalent of running a marathon without distance markers or water points along the way.
Yes, the strong willed (or strong-legged) will carry on running, but for most, knowing they鈥檙e one kilometre further from the start or closer to the finish line, has a big psychological impact.
If you have a time goal in mind with the race, knowing that you鈥檝e completed five kilometres in X amount of time can either motivate you to keep going or spur you on to put in more mahi to finish.
This ensures that urgency levels are maintained throughout and don鈥檛 trail off midway through.
鈥淐reating short-term wins is different from hoping for short-term wins. The latter is passive, the former active. In a successful transformation, managers actively look for ways to obtain clear performance improvements, establish goals in the yearly planning system, achieve the objectives, and reward the people involved with recognition, promotions, and even money.鈥 John Kotter
The other issue is companies declaring victory too soon.
Transformation takes years to truly become embedded and to see its impacts.
When organisations see the initial impact of the change and transformation, many choose to declare victory. This kills momentum and makes it difficult to come back from that. It鈥檚 like climbing a mountain and reaching a false summit.
It took hard work, dedication, and energy to get there but the moment you experience the false sense of achievement few will muster up the same vigour to get up and keep going.
鈥淚nstead of declaring victory, leaders of successful efforts use the credibility afforded by short-term wins to tackle even bigger problems.鈥 John Kotter
Taking time to stop and smell the roses may seem like a novelty in today鈥檚 fast-paced life, but it鈥檚 essential to reflect on the process of change and transformation.
By doing a stocktake, it effectively shapes what鈥檚 still to come.
Prosci into finding out how organisations measure the success and effectiveness of their change and transformation process. They also asked about the framework used to do this type of assessment.
This research involved multiple studies over nearly a decade, in which they asked organisations the following questions:
Through the multiple responses it became clear that for the assessment to be effective, it needed to measure these three categories:
Just as the name would suggest it relates to whether the change and transformation process is achieving the desired organisational goals.
For examples, adherence to timeline and project plan, benefit realisation and return on investment (ROI), performance improvements and KPI measurements.
There may be many more examples and it will be specific to the organisation.
This has to do with our people and how each of them is tracking. Since our people are at the heart of change and transformation, the results of the measurements will be a good indication of the overall success of the process.
This may include measurements such as: awareness and understanding of the change, engagement, buy-in and participation, kaimahi feedback, observations of behavioural change and proficiency measures.
We frame up objectives of the learners/end-users by looking at the know, do and be(lieve):
We鈥檝e found that organisations have no trouble in identifying the know or the do, but it takes time to consider and identify the be(lieve), as that speaks to the heart of the matter and connects to the bigger why.
This includes the measurement of the change and transformation activities itself.
Even though this is useful, the focus should not be on this, but rather the organisational and individual performance.
For example, while measuring the learning participation and attendance numbers can be useful, greater emphasis should be placed on whether the kaimahi are engaging with the content and applying it (Individual performance) and whether it鈥檚 contributing to adherence to the timeline and project plan by providing your team with the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to progress (organisational performance).
It means little if all your people are completing the provided learning, but it鈥檚 not connecting with the heart of the matter and therefore they choose not to implement it.
It becomes a pointless compliance activity.
We鈥檙e in the business of creating better learning that is life changing and everything we do needs to connect with that bigger why.
Change is inevitable.
Organisations (and more importantly, leaders within them) need to proactively prepare and lead through change.
By understanding the change process, considering its impact on your people, and effectively communicating the motivations behind change, you'll be able to foster a culture of agility and adaptability. With the right knowledge and approach, you'll be able to help your organisation successfully navigate change, overcome challenges, and thrive in an ever-evolving business landscape.
Embracing change is an opportunity for growth and progress, rather than a daunting obstacle.
If you'd like to help getting off on the right foot with your next change initiative, why not get in touch with one of our Learning Partners today!