3 tips on preparing your organization for change
Anthony Kpakol
Maritime Risk, Governance & Quality Assurance @ Nigeria LNG Limited | HSEQ Expert
Change is a constant in today′s organizations. Leaders, managers, and employees at all levels must understand both how to implement planned change and effectively handle unexpected change. Change is complex and challenging; however, launching transformation is a common way that business leaders try to get ahead of the competition or survive crises or disruption (Satell, 2019). Such leaders understand that the primary motivator for accomplishing change resides with people in the organization, especially the leaders (Benjamin, Mabey & Maynon-White, 1993). Although it is better to drive change through empowerment than being mandated from the top, organizational leadership should prepare for and implement change in a structured way, especially now that the pace of change is accelerating at the fastest rate in recorded history (Musselwhite & Plouffe, 2010). More so, we are currently operating in Complex Adaptive Systems where organizations must evolve, adapt, develop, and exhibit extraordinary ingenuity in the process of development (Olson & Eoyang, 2001). Leading change is the highest form of leadership according to the adage: lead yourself, lead others, lead your organization, lead change. So, how can leaders get their organization ready for successful change?
Change readiness is a crucial determinant and now the new focus for successful change management. Change readiness is the ability to continuously initiate and respond to change in ways that create advantage, minimize risk, and sustain performance while balancing tension between internal and external forces (Musselwhite & Plouffe, 2010). The first step in change readiness is for leaders to ask the right question about where the organization is coming from and today. By assessing cultural and technical feasibility in the change awareness stage, change leaders can understand, evaluate lower-level managers' readiness, communicate, and overcome the most internal resistance to the change. The second step is to identify a keystone grievance or trigger and transform that into a shared vision for a better tomorrow. The third and most crucial change readiness preparation is to assess and build agility within the organization. Bazigos, De Smet & Gagnon (2015) stated that agility pays and that an agile organization can renew itself, adapt, change quickly, and succeed in a rapidly changing, ambiguous, and turbulent environment. Change initiatives are more successful when leaders follow the above in preparing and getting their organisation ready for the change.
References
Bazigos, M., De Smet, A., & Gagnon, C. (2015). Why agility pays. McKinsey Quarterly, 4, 28-35.
Benjamin, G., Mabey, C., Mabey, C., & Maynon-White, B. (1993). Facilitating Radical Change: a case of organization transformation. Managing change, 181-186.
Musselwhite, C., & Plouffe, T. (2010). Four ways to know whether you are ready for change. Harvard Business Review, 10-11.
Olson, E. E. & Eoyang, G. H. (2001). Facilitating Organization Change: Lessons From Complexity Science
Satell, G. (2019). 4 Tips for Managing Organizational Change'. Harvard Business Review,(August 2019).
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3 年You've captured the process as a whole Anthony Kpakol, and to add to your points - a change initiative is best supported if: 1) people know how they'll benefit from the initiative, and 2) people contribute directly or indirectly towards building the initiative.
Corporate Brand & Identity Advisor - Nigeria LNG. I Author I Speaker I Keynote Speaker/Speech Writer I Event Compere/Host I Employee Performance & Org. Culture Upscale Enthusiast
3 年Well articulated. I can't agree less. The critical success factor in internalizing and instituting value driven change process is to cultivate an "Organization Culture" that supports and proliferates "organic" change. Only then does it become "the way things are done here" - Employees taking ownership of the process (Organic) and NOT one off initiatives driven by Executives or highly placed leaders (Breakthrough Strategy). Well done Sir!