“We failed! We flat-out failed! We worked our tails off, and we still failed. All the sweat, hours, and resources we put into this project, and it still fell flat! Where did we go wrong?”
Sound familiar? Does this bring back memories you would prefer to leave in the past?
Over my four decades working with clients of all sizes and backgrounds, I have witnessed countless change projects that sadly ended far from the desired result. Looking back at what went wrong, those in charge were often baffled, trying to figure out where they messed up. They thought they followed their understanding of the major textbook steps of significant organizational change:
1. Establish the need for the change.
2. Define the vision.
3. Create the path forward.
4. Launch and track progress.
Yes, these are some of the basic steps, but the single most important element of successful organizational change was missing. These clients had overlooked the most important part – getting buy-in. They assumed everyone would love the “new way.” How wrong they were!
Does this happen in your organization? Think about a time when your company announced a change of any magnitude. How did those affected by the new policies, procedures, or processes respond? Did they embrace the change, or were their first thoughts more along the lines of:
· “What’s in it for me?”
· “What do I now have to do differently?”
· “Why are they doing this?”
· “What group of idiots came up with this crazy idea?”
· “Nobody ever asked my opinion!”
Any time that a change is announced, those affected by it will ask themselves these questions. It is only natural. They want to know, "How will this change affect me, my time on the job, the extra work I must do, and more hassle than I already deal with?" That is the reason that any organizational change effort needs to consider how the announcement of the new way will be received by everyone in the organization--and especially by those who will be affected most directly.
Each of the above questions needs to be answered during the planning of the change effort and ALWAYS before the change effort is announced. If these questions are ignored, or the answers are favorably assumed, then the entire effort is guaranteed to fail.
The most important lesson I have learned about successful organizational change comes down to one key lesson:
If this critical principle is overlooked, then the entire change effort’s failure is assured.
Any organizational change effort, whether it be “transformational” (involving the entire organization) or “transactional” (fixing a specific problem), requires frequent communication with everyone affected during the entire change process. This means that frequent personal communication and candid discussions are essential to ensure successful implementation.
To plan your communication strategy, consider each of the following questions that need to be asked and answered thoroughly to achieve a successful change effort:
1. Why are we doing it?
2. Who is involved?
3. Who will be affected?
4. Who will have to live with the results?
5. Who will like it and WHY?
6. Who will resist it and WHY?
Only by answering these six questions will you be able to achieve the essential buy-in from all stakeholders and employees. Remember, buy-in from those impacted by the change is the most critical element in determining whether or not your change effort will be a massive success or a total flop.
SELF-CHECK: