Nothing can be accomplished and no vision can be realized without leadership. But even the best leaders know that any goal that they are trying to achieve will inevitably mean some level of change. They need Change Management.
This change may manifest itself in changing business processes, changing job responsibilities and roles, changing organizations, changing infrastructure, changing products and services or even completely changing direction.
While change is inevitable change usually does not come easy. There is no end to the number of challenges, hurdles and barriers that will be put in front of you.
This all requires Change Management, or as we prefer to say, Change Leadership. In this “Featuring” series article we present our best articles on the matter of Change Management and Change Leadership!
1. The Call to Action … Where it All Begins!
Making change happen is tough. It is even tougher when people don’t understand why you are changing things, especially if your company is already successful. Even if your company is a leader you can’t be complacent because there is always some competitor looking to take you down.
It is imperative to have a Call to Action. Communicating why things need to change is a motivator and it allows people to buy in to your vision and become invested in making the change happen and making it succeed.
2. Naming Your Project Will Rally Everyone to Your Cause!
If you are leading, or participating in, a change project of some kind it can be very compelling to name that project. With certain project goals to be accomplished a project name can be the banner and brand to represent that change.
A name can reflect the characteristics of the type of change you are working to effect. It can be a point of pride for those participating in the project. And it defines your initiative for anyone to more easily understand.
3. The Executive Sponsor to Enable Change!
Depending on the nature and extent of the transformation that you are trying to make you may need some help. If a Boss or Executive in your organization is a visible sponsor for your change project he or she can help break through barriers that will impede your progress.
Whether it comes to getting resources, communicating from a higher level, or just busting through problems, an Executive Sponsor can be an invaluable resource.
4. Want Success? Integrate a Change Work Stream in Your Transformation!
Many people set about to make changes but they ignore the human element and don’t think about the implications of that change. People often resist change and if you are tampering with their jobs for instance you are likely to meet a lot of resistance.
This resistance can undermine any change you are attempting to make, even if it is in everyone’s best interest. Knowing this beforehand you should work with your Human Resources team to manage a Change Management Work Stream process to deal with these matters while the change process is underway. Issues will be dealt with in real time, address resistance and maximize your chances of success.
5. Ground Rules for Creating a High Performance Organization (HPO)!
If you really want to drive change, and make it sustainable, you need to create a culture that supports this environment. In order to make that kind of cultural change you need to embed the behaviours of a high performing culture in your team.
In this article we discuss the attributes of a High Performance Organization (HPO) and the ground rules, or cultural norms, you must have in place. This will in turn provide the basis for successfully making changes in all aspects of your organization.
6. Change Leadership Success: Attack on All Fronts!
I have seen a lot of people try to make change. When they narrow their focus and scope to tackling a very large problem the change they are trying to make is often ineffective. They can become intimidated by the size of change they need to make and choose to make minor changes or make change serially.
It can be more successful to attack your problem on all fronts. Considering all dimensions of the problem making big change can be intimidating but a holistic approach can have a greater chance of success. Being too conservative in your approach can feel like pushing a balloon; you’re not getting anywhere.
7. Unleash Your Employees Ideas to Truly Change the Game!
No one has all the answers or all of the ideas. Great leaders know that their employees, the ones who are really closest to knowing what is going on in your organization, have great ideas.
Employees know what is working, what is not working, and they certainly have ideas on what they think should change. And most employees would be happy to offer their ideas and help in driving that change. They are just as invested in leaders in making their company successful.
8. Driving the Need for Culture Change!
As with the need for a Call to Action it is sometimes necessary to abruptly get the attention of the people in your organization. You need their attention and focus on the problem at hand.
If you don’t have their attention you won’t be able to make the cultural changes you need in order to drive transformation.
9. Creating a High Performance Organization! (Infographic)
High performing organizations are better able to make and sustain change. They are built on cultures that embrace the need for transformation, evolution and revolution.
In this infographic we illustrate many of the characteristics associated with High Performance Organizations.
10. Stop Your Project from Becoming “Just Another Program”!
How many times have you seen people roll their eyes when Management announces that they are launching another project or program? Based on a series of past failures people become skeptical when they hear about a new project.
As you start your Change Management project there will be people who view you and your initiative in the same light. How do you make your project stand out and succeed in the face of this skepticism?
11. Characteristics of a Barrier Busting Culture!
Change is more than just about a business process, a metric, or an organization chart. True change begins and ends with your company culture. If the culture is poor your change initiative will end quite quickly. If your culture is good and adaptive your change initiative has a greater chance of success.
Change efforts are full of barriers and obstacles. What are the characteristics of a culture that will bust through those barriers?
12. The Change Leadership Process … and Guide!
Even if you are trying to change a business process there is a process for implementing that change. In this article we provide an overview of the Change Leadership process which also provides a linkage to all of the other change articles.