The business landscape is changing faster than some companies can respond. As organizations compete with the very best players in the market, it is critical that they effectively navigate change. Research shows that over 75% of change or transformation efforts fail because basic change management principles are not consistently followed. Change doesn’t have to be complex. Companies can be successful through education and a consistent focus on sound change management principles.
When considering change, you must clearly understand what needs improvement. You must identify weaknesses and strengths and have a good understanding of what’s working and what’s not working. Successful companies ensure they capitalize on what is already working.
The CEO and company leaders must assume responsibility for leading and implementing change. Areas of change cover a wide swath, including culture, growth, core operations, business models, or digital transformations. Success in these endeavors will lead to a win for the organization and its stakeholders.
Let’s explore simple strategies to make change management easier for a growing business.
Create A Compelling Vision And Identify The Things That Need To Change
Ensuring successful change or transformation is only possible if you paint a clear picture of the future. This vision should provide clarity for the entire organization. Employees often want to know where the company is going and what role they will play. You should also highlight the strategic areas that need improvement and why, and specific areas that could hold the company back. These steps help identify the burning imperative on why the change is necessary.
For example, if your company loses critical market share because customer interaction is complex, you may want to invest in new technology and revamp processes that simplify the customer journey. The imperative could be the company’s livelihood or an improvement showing concrete benefits for employees and customers.
Get Buy-In For The Necessary Changes
It is essential first to get support and buy-in from key organizational leaders. Leaders need to believe in change, or the initiative will fail. As a company leader, you cannot make significant changes without rallying support from other executives, managers, or the coalition that will lead the change efforts. You must create a sense of urgency among your leaders on why this change is critical to your company’s success.
Getting others on board is simply impossible without clearly defining your vision, business case, and potential courses of action that will produce the desired outcome. Gaining and maintaining support is accomplished by regularly communicating the “why” behind the change. Plan to create a message that resonates with your most critical stakeholder groups.
Create a Plan of Action
Once you’ve identified the required changes, you should create goals, milestones, and metrics and identify the processes that will lead you to the desired outcomes. You should focus on four main aspects when designing an effective change management plan. These include identifying the project scope and objective, allocating the necessary resources, recruiting the right individuals for the project, and executing the plan with determination.
Once you’ve narrowed down these aspects of the plan, you can create a roadmap that allows you and others to move towards clearly defined targets while measuring progress along the way. Continually reviewing new data and reevaluating initial assumptions is essential to fine-tune plans or validate strategic direction.
It is important to remember that successful change takes time and is not a solo venture. You must continually strive to maintain the support of everyone within your organization, especially your leadership team. Leaders must keep their foot on the gas pedal throughout all phases of the change and work to empower the broader team around the vision.
Communicate, Manage, and Celebrate
Many organizations sabotage their progress by failing to communicate regularly and with intention. Simply sending emails or posting updates on the company intranet site is inadequate. Thousands of messages are competing for your employee’s attention, and change initiatives will be at the bottom of their list.
During all phases of change, employees must be encouraged to share their opinions and feel that their input is heard. Employees feel empowered when listened to, which will help minimize the number of employees covertly derailing the project.
It’s vital to communicate project goals and progress continually. Celebrating success and quick wins throughout the change management process is an excellent method to keep leaders and employees inspired, engaged, and aligned.
No matter how well you manage change, some employees will still resist. Resisting change is human nature, and most employees have no wrongful intent. However, they will create headwinds by not changing behaviors and moving forward with incremental changes. As a company leader, your efforts to minimize those that resist change must be intentional to ensure most employees are engaged and empowered with the new initiative.
Change doesn’t happen overnight, and executives must be consistent and persistent in pursuing change. You accelerate transformation by celebrating employees for hitting their targets and performing well. Conversely, creating a feedback loop to give your employees healthy criticism in the context of project goals is also important.
Final Verdict
Change can be difficult but not complex. Change management is a deliberate process that requires many adjustments along the way. Obstacles can unexpectedly arise, requiring employees, managers, and company leaders to keep pushing past their comfort zone. When leaders consistently apply effective change management principles, permanent change and business transformation become a reality.
Vance Crocker