Tuesday, August 5, 2008

More on developing a change strategy.

- The change strategy is in accord with the values and beliefs of those who are affected.

- The strategy develops “critical mass” in each initiative. This means there’s sufficient investment of resources to move the organization beyond its natural inertia, particularly in the early stages of the change process.

- The strategy recognizes that new approaches are likely to be misunderstood, and includes mechanisms to get feedback about how people see the change process, so clarification can take place as needed.

- There are provisions to hear objections from those affected so steps can be taken to remove the obstacles they identify as these appear.

- There are choice points built into the strategy to permit revision and reconsideration, if experience indicates this would be desirable.

- The strategy takes advantage of opportunities where change is already occurring or is soon contemplated, e.g. where new technology is being introduced, where the business is expanding or contracting rapidly, or where there’s new management in place.

- There are plans to reward and encourage people for the effort of changing and improving, in addition to rewarding them for short-term results.

2 comments:

Chinesecowboy said...

This is a really long list. Do ALL of these steps need to be present for me to push forward for change? Or are there specific ones that are key before I decide whether or not to push for the change effort?

john cotter said...

You can use this list as a diagnostic tool - just answer yes or no for each one. (Better yet, get others to answer the same questions as well). You can start even if some of these conditions aren't satisfied and work on them as you go.
However, I'd be reluctant to begin without support from some influential members of top management (doesn't have to be all).
I'd also like to have some kind of felt need (growing competition, new business conditions, whatever) that suggests staying where you are is an increasingly shaky option for the firm's future success.