What do you do if your change initiatives are facing high-risk situations?

Before starting any change initiative, I encourage teams to run a pre-mortem workshop. Under the theme "prepare for the worst and hope for the best," we delve into all possible paths of worst-case scenarios and discuss what could potentially go wrong and why. Common risks often include: - Breakdown in communication - Underestimating scope and complexity - Disempowered leaders - Convoluted decision-making processes - Shift in organizational objectives (innovation vs. tradition) - Cultural resistance We then create "what-if" scenarios for risk mitigation and "even-if" scenarios for case empowerment, preparing teams for potential headwinds.

To be prepared is important and preparing oneself for risks is uncomfortable for us as human beings. So as a first step, the quicker we can assess and gather risks, their likelihood, their damage and the quicker we come to ideas how to mitigate - the less uncomfortable we feel with the risks floating above our heads, knowing they're there and we just don't want to look up. So I think practicing this risk assessment in projects creates a positive, solution-oriented habit towards finding mitigations and being prepared. When something is automated, we can use it more efficiently when under pressure. So the best time for that practice is early on in the project - however with set dates to revisit the risk backlog.

When faced with high-risk situations, involving vital players in the change process is essential. Such people are interested in the results, which can be positive or negative attitudes, making them potential allies or obstructionists. Such an open communication channel lays the foundation for addressing the challenges and input their stakeholders may have. Their participation gives a unique perspective on seeking improvements and enhancing a conducive working environment to navigate the risks effectively. More than 60% of the effort I put into my change management role is identifying organizational risks and impacts and building bridges with stakeholders to minimize them.

Remaining agile is incredibly important for high-risk scenarios. I'm going to introduce a slightly different take than the AI did. Momentum is key with adoption of change, and in high-risk scenarios you will find natural opportunities where there is an organic momentum behind something that will present itself. When it happens do not miss the opportunity. If you find yourself in a scenario where stakeholders are bringing up a new problem or solutions, you may have the chance to capitalize on the natural momentum and leapfrog towards a long term objective when "the plan" had a different path to get there. In these cases you could stop the momentum and follow the plan or you can change the plan. Stay agile, change the plan, get there faster

When you're dealing with high-risk situations in change, it's imperative to keep your finger on the pulse, as a collaborative with leadership and key stakeholders. Depending on context, you could: - Engage in daily, short yet focused stand-ups, covering done, doing and any roadblocks that need clearing. - Have regular updates on key mitigations (in a shared workspace with key stakeholders). Working out-loud is a great approach for this. - Ensure to scan for dependencies as well as the risk(s) at hand, as organisations are complex adaptive systems and there's usually up and down stream impacts and areas to consider. - Take learnings forward in to shared knowledge bases, or case studies so others can benefit from learnings.