In the world, we live “business as always” is change. New capabilities, technology improvements, project-based working, staying ahead of the competition – these elements get together to drive ongoing changes to the way we do work. 1
Step 1: To create Urgency
For the need of change and that it can happen, it helps if all people in the company want it. A sense of urgency should be developed around the need of change. This can be helpful to spark the initial motivation to make things moving.
Discover potential threats, and create scenarios plus visualizing what could happen in the future.
Take a closer look at opportunities that needed, to be or could, be exploited.
Do honest discussions, and give convincing and dynamic reasons to make people thinking and talking.
Ask for support from outside stakeholders, customers and from people form the industry to strengthen your argument.3
Step 2: Form Powerful Coalition
Make obvious to people that change is needed. Only change is not enough a strong leader is required.
Find the real leaders in the organization, and also the key stakeholders.
Demand politely for an emotional commitment from these key people.
Work strongly on team building within your change coalition.
Make sure to have a great of mix of people from different department and levels.4
Step 3: Build a Vision for Change
Creating a clear vision can help and make everyone understand what they need to do and an overall vision can make people easily to see and remember.
Establish the values that are essential to the change.
Write down a brief summery (one or two sentences) that captures what you “see” as the future of the organization.
Make a strategy to execute that vision.
Make sure that your change coalition is able to describe the vision in 5 minutes or less.5
Step 4: Communicate the Vision
The vision that is created, it will determine your success. The message you create will probably have competition from other day-to-day communications in the company, so you have to communicate frequently and powerfully.
Talk very often about the change of the vision.
Address peoples’ anxieties and concerns, openly and sincerely
Use the vision to all elements of operations – form training to performance.
Lead by example.
Step 5: Get ride off the Obstacles
Put in place the structure for the change and constantly look for barriers to it. Eliminating obstacles will empower the people which need to execute the created vision, and it can assist the change to move forward.
Find, or hire, change leaders whose main roles are to deliver the change.
Take a closer look at the organization structure, performances, job descriptions and compensation systems to make sure everything is in line with the vision.
Identify and give a reward to people for making change happen.
Look out of people who resist change and help them out.
Take fast action to remove barriers (Human etc..)6
Step 6: Generate Short-Term Wins
Make sure to create short-term wins and not only long-term goals. It is important that each smaller target is achievable with little room for failure. Within a short time, frame of one month or a year, depends on type of change), show “quick wins” that people can see. This increases motivation and makes everyone more productive.
Identify for sure-fire projects that are able to be implemented without help from strong critics of the change.
Don’t select early targets that are expensive. Justification for the investment of each project is required.
Set targets, if you do not succeed it can affect the entire change initiative.
Give reward to people who assist you to meet the targets.7
Step 7: Build on the Change
The quick wins are only the start of what needs to be done to get long-term change. Every single success gives an opportunity to build on what went correctly and find out what can be improved.
After a win analyse what went well and what needs improvement.
Set goals to go on building on the momentum that is achieved.
Get knowledge about kaizen, the idea of continuous improvement.
Continue to bring in new and fresh ideas and new change agents and leaders for change coalition.
Step 8: Secure the Changes in Corporate Culture
Finally, to make sure that the change stick, should become part of the core organization. Make everyday efforts to ensure that the change is shown in every aspect in the organization. In addition to that, leaders have to continue to support the change. If the support of them is lost, the organization mind ends up back where everything has started.
Talk all time about the progress and tell success stories about the change process. Try to repeat them to everyone.
Incorporate the change values and ideals during hiring process and training new staff.
Official recognize key members of original change coalition.
Make plans to replace some key leaders of change. This will ensure that the legacy of them is not forgotten or lost.8
Sources
[1] https://www.projectmanager.com/training/kotters-8-step-change-management-model
[2] https://www.kotterinc.com/8-steps-process-for-leading-change/
[3] https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_82.htm
[4] https://www.projectmanager.com/training/kotters-8-step-change-management-model
[5] https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_82.htm
[6] https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_82.htm
[7] https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_82.htm
[8] https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_82.htm
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