Charles Darwin is known for saying "It's not the strongest of species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change". If there is one constant in the world of running a business today, it is the fact that we face continuous change.
All organisations, be they small or large, need to be able to effectively manage change in order to increase the likelihood of success. Managing change in your organisation could be anything from implementing a new system for managing customers, to rolling out software to more effectively plan projects, or it could be the introduction of a new occupational health and safety process.
It goes without saying these proposed solutions need to be technically right for your organisation. What some companies don't realise, however, is that without acceptance from the people involved in the implementation, change will fail. This can be the only barrier between you and effectiveness, yet because people are notoriously difficult to change, it can be a significant one.
Research would suggest that often, even with the best-laid plans, the change fails. Why is that? Some of the most common reasons for the failure of organisational change include:
- Not having visible leadership for the change
- Not translating the vision into meaningful terms
- Not systematically planning to deal with resistance
- Not anchoring the change in the company’s culture and infrastructure
- Declaring victory too soon
So what are some of the ways of increasing the likelihood that someone will change?
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Having strong, visible leadership. Is there a ‘champion’ who sponsors the change, who is visible and active in their public commitment to the change? This might include sending emails of support of the change, or being present in the meetings that move the change forward.
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Ensuring people understand, and can relate to, the reasons for the change. Has someone clearly outlined the vision for the change – what the business will look like when the change has been implemented successfully?
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Expect resistance and plan for it. Does the need for change exceed the resistance against it? Does the majority of the team share in the belief of the change? People in the organisation need to know why the change has to occur – even if it seems obvious to the people driving the change, the question remains whether the rest of the team understand it.
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Ensuring the people who need to change have agreed to it. This consent needs to extend to the point where they will invest in the change, make it work and demand and receive management attention. A change will only be successful when key players have agreed to modify their own actions and behaviours to support it.
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Making sure the change lasts. If an organisation is really going to successfully implement a change into the DNA of the team, it has to be integrated with other key initiatives. Only then can you confidently say you’ve accomplished what you set out to achieve.
No organisation can thrive without experiencing significant change, both internally and externally. Considering some of these ideas will help you navigate your organisation’s evolution with greater success.