What are the best strategies for maintaining momentum during long-term change projects?

3 Build a strong and diverse team

A long-term change project requires a strong and diverse team that can collaborate, innovate, and deliver results. As an executive, you need to build a team that has the right skills, knowledge, experience, and perspectives to handle the complexity and uncertainty of the change. You also need to foster a culture of trust, respect, and inclusion among your team members, as well as empower them to take ownership and accountability for their roles and responsibilities. A strong and diverse team can help you leverage the collective intelligence, creativity, and resilience of your people.

4 Communicate effectively and frequently

Communication is essential for any change project, but especially for long-term ones that involve multiple phases, activities, and stakeholders. As an executive, you need to communicate effectively and frequently with your team and other relevant parties, such as customers, suppliers, partners, and regulators. You need to communicate the vision and purpose, the goals and milestones, the roles and expectations, the challenges and risks, the successes and learnings, and the feedback and recognition. You also need to listen actively and empathically to the concerns, questions, and suggestions of others, and address them promptly and transparently.

5 Celebrate wins and learn from failures

One of the most effective ways to maintain momentum during long-term change projects is to celebrate wins and learn from failures along the way. Celebrating wins can help you acknowledge and appreciate the efforts and achievements of your team, as well as reinforce the positive impact of the change. Learning from failures can help you identify and address the gaps and errors in your processes and strategies, as well as foster a growth mindset and a culture of experimentation among your team. Celebrating wins and learning from failures can help you build confidence, motivation, and resilience for the next steps of the change.

6 Seek and offer support

Finally, a long-term change project can be stressful and demanding for you and your team, so it is important to seek and offer support when needed. Seeking support can help you access the resources, guidance, and feedback that can enhance your performance and well-being. Offering support can help you build rapport, trust, and loyalty with your team and other stakeholders, as well as demonstrate your leadership and commitment to the change. Support can come from various sources, such as peers, mentors, coaches, experts, or networks, depending on your needs and preferences.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?