What do you do if your organization is resistant to change and lacks adaptability?

To address resistance to change and lack of adaptability, communicate the need for change, lead by example, provide training and support, foster a culture of innovation, involve employees in the process, address resistance head-on, celebrate progress, and continuously evaluate and adjust. By taking a proactive and inclusive approach, organizations can create a culture that embraces change and thrives in a dynamic environment.

Mindset is, usually the very first and ultimate barrier to innovation. A static and fixed mindset, rooted on old-fashioned ways of working usually kills innovation. But this is not the only one: lack of resources; unclear [innovation] goals; lack of experience and knowledge are other possible reasons to avoid innovation. Nonetheless, in my experience, an unclear reason to innovate associated with confuse messages are the main innovation killer.

Recently I have done some research on the need to analyse "change readiness" for several clients at leading worldwide companies. Indeed Kotter's coalition of the willing" is part of this process, but often the step before generating a "buy-in" throughout a company gets underestimated. Do they really base actions on willingness or through understanding, processes and effects? There are a number of very useful programmes available to support this. Through my business associates at People & Performance I was introduced to Human Engage from Denmark who perform customized surveys to measure Leadership and behavioural changes to optimize employee engagement rather than focusing on the most vocal people. Food for thought.

A mistake I've made in the past is to try and help leaders change the whole organisational culture at once. Often focusing on the most vocal people, which tend to be the ones that resist change. Instead, Kotter taught me to focus on the 'coalition of the willing' - the people that are willing to explore the new direction. Eventually, they will entice the others to follow, especially when you make sure this is an attractive journey to be part of.

1. Identify root causes 2. Communicate effectively 3. Lead by example 4. Create compelling vision 5. Involve stakeholders 6. Provide training and support 7. Celebrate successes 8. Continuously evaluate and adjust

Resistance to change is often a result of a lack in imagination coming from missing know how about what the change means to a particular individual. Now, this can be overcome by providing learning journeys, i.e. exposing people to teams, that already have run through the same / a similar change. Furthermore, letting people express their fears related to a particular change opens also the possibility to be part of the solution rather than letting them feel, as if they were the problem.

It boils down to CULTURE. CLARITY & OWNERSHIP. 1. Culture ??: Promote a learning culture that embraces failure as a growth opportunity, encouraging experimentation, adaptability, and exploring new areas. The organization must encourage a growth mindset. 2. Clarity ??: Make sure the strategy is clear, and more importantly, well communicated throughout the organisation. Employees need this as a guideline for quick and effective decision making. 3. Ownership ??: Encourage a sense of ownership and empowerment among employees by involving them in the change process. Solicit their ideas & concerns. Incorporate them wherever feasible. They have to be an integral part of this process. Don't forget, culture eats strategy for breakfast...

Preaching change while not being directly affected is an unfavorable starting point for leaders to advocate for a transformation. Leading by example means for me, self-reflection and occasionally reinventing oneself for becoming adaptive to the "new environment", "new way of working", etc. The credibility increases a lot, if in the leadership team the practical challenges of a change are discussed as a result of having experienced it personally.