Executing Successful Large-Scale Change
Over the next few years, the global combination products market is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.9 percent, creating opportunities for new organizations to enter the market while putting pressure on you to reassess your organization’s operational model and consider the need for large-scale change. The ability of your organization to adapt to change could mean the difference between staying profitable and going broke in a competitive market. Follow these tips to make large-scale change work for you.
1. Create a Compelling Case for Change
For change to happen, you need buy-in. The key to securing buy-in is to communicate a clear and urgent need for change. Creating a sense of urgency helps bring together a team of influential individuals who can develop a compelling change vision to motivate others into action.
2. Engage, Enable and Empower Your Organization
Once you have a change vision, communicate it frequently and powerfully, so your vision will stick in people’s minds. Anticipate concerns and objections arising from your change vision, and give people the chance to express them without fear of reprisal. People who have confidence that their concerns will be dealt with openly are less likely to react negatively and resist proposals for change. Maintain credibility by leading with your actions as well as your words. Take every opportunity to apply your vision to your daily operations.
When you are ready to move forward, empower action by implementing the structure for change and continually checking for barriers to it. Look at your organization’s structure, policies and procedures to ensure they are aligned with your vision. Identify people who are resisting change, and help them to overcome their issues. As people begin to behave in ways that shape change, you should recognize and reward them.
3. Implement and Sustain Change
When implementing large-scale change, resist the urge to declare victory after early changes have been seen to work. These changes are only the beginning in making change run deep. To sustain continuous change, create short-term wins, organizational improvements that you can implement in six to 18 months. Without short-term wins, you risk losing momentum and engagement.
To make change stick, ensure that your change initiatives are seen in every aspect of your organization. This will help give them a meaningful place in your organization’s culture. Recognize key contributors to the success of your change efforts and reward them with influential positions. This will help create a lasting legacy that prevents you from reverting back to the old ways.
Executing large-scale change is not easy, and failure rates are high. With proper planning and support, your change efforts are more likely to succeed.