The pace of change shows no signs of slowing down. Globalization, hyper-connectedness, and immediate communication have changed the marketplace significantly and permanently. As a result, 81% of managers in one study report that the pace of change has increased compared to five years before. And 69% say that their companies experienced disruptive change within the last 12 months (AMA 2007).
We know that planned change initiatives, more often than not, disappoint. A McKinsey study reports that only 38% of change initiatives were completely or mostly successful improving performance (2006). So how do we make things better?
The Five Elements of Successful Planned Change
Active, committed change leadership. People are highly aware of leaders’ unspoken and understated messages. If leaders aren’t committed, people will know it and put the change low on the priority list.
A clear case for change, linked to specific goals. People are most likely to change when they understand why they must and what is at stake for the organization. They need to understand what they can do individually to achieve the vision.
Embedded change, not programmatic change. Change works best when it is embedded into an organization, rather than a program that employees hear about periodically. The most potent initiatives become part of how the organization does business.
Employee participation. People enjoy being part of changes that they create. A well-designed participative process mines the inherent talent and creativity of the workforce to meet challenges and solve problems.
Successful use of hidden networks. Every organization has a hidden network of relationships and interactions that people engage to get routine work done, make decisions, solve problems, and innovate. Drawing on people in key network roles accelerates the adoption process.
