Build Momentum for Successful Change
Scott Palmer is a Principal Technologist in Research and Development at RWD Technologies. RWD is a leading human and operations process improvement company that enables sustainable business transformation.
In some ways, organizational change is like waiting in line at the (pick your favorite consumer/bureaucratic punching bag here). Everyone sees the problems, everyone knows how things should be done, but no one seems to be able to make the process better or faster. Organizational change isn’t easy, but it is manageable. Here are some things to keep in mind before you get to a-changin’.
Vision/mission statements are fun to make, so a lot of people start there. But don’t you start there. Before you have a vision meeting, discuss strategy, and come up with pithy phrasing for some “world class solution” this or “supreme customer service” – you have some homework to do. First, you have to create a sense of urgency. If there is no overriding reason for making a change then don’t do it. Second, you should bring together a committed group of senior leaders who want the change to be made. Only then can you have that vision meeting. Leading with vision alone makes for empty platitudes that no one is willing to back up with real action.
Even with your committed group of leaders, there will be resistance. How you plan to handle that resistance shouldn’t be an afterthought. Who in your organization is most likely to change? Least likely? Will someone’s job be affected or even eliminated by the change? If not, might they think that’s a possibility? Know where your champions and challengers are, and plan an approach for both groups.
Posters, emails, and webinars, oh my! If you think change is all about the poster color, then you’re right. Caring too much about the color on the poster is a big problem with the launch of company initiatives, followed closely by the name of the effort, the cute mascot, and the size of the coffee mug. Even though this is where much effort is expended in a change effort, it’s the least effective use of your time. First impressions are important, but the lack of follow up is what kills most change efforts.
In fact, it’s all about the Mo. The single biggest factor in the success or failure of a change effort is its momentum. Managers enforcing a new change instead of making excuses for why it has to be done create organizational momentum. Senior leaders asking questions about the health and status of the effort creates momentum. Momentum killers are confusion, doubt, and reverting back to the old way because it’s better, faster, more comfortable, etc. Keep up the momentum long after the initial launch, and you’ll be ahead of most change efforts.
Live it, breathe it, and make it a part of your day. Change has to eventually become the standard way to operate. Find a way to fold the new initiative into the workweek. People don’t like change – so use that to your advantage. The sooner your “change” becomes “the way we do things” the better.
This is just one of the topics to be explored at LEEF, the Learning and Entertainment Evolution Forum on June 17-18. LEEF is an interactive professional development event showcasing the convergence of learning and entertainment technologies and exploring the organizational, design and technical challenges for adopting games and simulations for learning. Join Scott and presenters such as Jerry Heneghan of Applied Research Associates, Mike Cuffe, VP at Farmer’s Insurance, Phaedra Boinodiris of IBM, Koreen Olbrish of Tandem Learning, and more at LEEF this summer! The event will take place in Central Pennsylvania at Harrisburg University. Go to www.LEEF2010.net to learn more about the program!
