Change - can you stick to it?

At least, long-term change doesn't. To really make a new habit stick, or to change a long-standing routine, it can take anywhere between 3 weeks and a year! No wonder we experience fallout – either through people disengaging or change programmes grinding to a halt…?There’s so much that’s variable at an individual level: it depends on the individual’s learning preferences, their approach, their motivation, and on and on.

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At an organisational level, few organisations have escaped the need for major change in the past decade, as new technologies and global impacts have reshaped entire markets. However, the fact that change has become more frequent does not make such changes any easier. The secret of change is to focus all of your energy…not on fighting the old, but in building the new – we all get it! Don’t we? Research says different!

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“ More than half of organisations attempting transformation programmes failed ”

(Kotter, 1995)

?“Change Management Programmes has a 70% failure rate ”

(Kotter, 2012; Keller & Aiken, 2008; Miller, 2002)

? “ 60% of change projects fail to meet schedule, budget and quality goals”

(IBM, 2008)

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Change is, at its core, a people process, and people are creatures of habit - hard-wired to resist adopting new mind-sets, practices, and behaviours. To achieve and sustain transformational change, organisations (and individuals) must embed these mind-sets, practices, and behaviours at every level, and that is very hard to do — but it has never been more important.

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There are many reasons why people?resist?change: a sense that they’ll lose control; a dislike of surprises, uncertainty or spontaneity; a fear that they’ll be seen as incompetent; concerns that their work or daily routine will become more difficult…the list goes on. The perception that just because they've been doing something a particular way forever must make it the best way can be a strong belief that’s difficult to alter – to make space for something new means doing away with something old, and this is the part that frightens us. ‘Old’ is familiar and trusted, we know what to expect and what’s coming.?New?could?be good, but it could also be bad.?New?is unknown – exciting to some, but terrifying to others.

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Whilst various experts have differing models concerning the process of change, there’s one thing most would agree on - that there are separate stages the individual must experience before change actually ‘sticks’. Omitting stages is usually the reason good intentions and best-laid plans fail.

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So what are the separate steps that change requires?

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John Kotter believes there are eight distinct stages. However, we’re going to address a model that involves five separate components.

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Right, let’s begin. Here’s an equation for you:

(D+V+B+S) > R

Don’t worry… by the end of this post, it will all make sense. Let me explain what the separate letters represent.

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D = DISSATISFACTION with the current state

If everything was going fabulously, why would you change it? There has to be a problem, issue or reason behind the change process, because otherwise, you wouldn't bother. ‘D’ can also represent a great opportunity that’s better than what you've got now. As we may have experienced, people tend to be decline change, unless the pain of staying the same becomes too great… let’s make the reason really clear for all to understand.

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V = VISION of the possible future

Essentially, having an end goal. Aimless steps and plans with no finality go nowhere. The vision must be better than the current status quo, or again, there’d be no reason to continue. Visualising results makes them real. Leaders play a crucial role here to engage on a personal level with people - to create a clear picture by telling their story of what success will look like.

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B = BELIEF that change is possible

Many of us could be dissatisfied with our level of fitness, for example, and envisage being healthier and more active. However, if we envisage that we could outrun and outperform Usain Bolt, we may fail because our inner critic doesn't have to work too hard to convince us that this desire is out of our reach. Whist dreaming big is commendable, and given that some people may well have the potential to become Olympic athletes, change predominantly works if the outcome is achievable and realistic. Taking the time to engage the ‘hearts and minds’ of people – describing the vision in great detail and, most importantly, what is in it for them will support a gradual growth in belief.

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S = STEPS to be taken

To go from A to Z, you need to pass the other 24 letters in-between. Having an end goal is essential, but getting there from your starting point requires a plan, if the change is to be successful. Breaking down what could seem a tough journey into bite-sized manageable steps helps disperse the fear of change, and allows you to measure your progress. Part of this could be to include various team members to help accelerate the change or to be on hand to support any potential hurdles. These ‘champions’ of the change will act as your catalyst to a successful result.

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R = RESISTANCE to successful implementation

Even when you think you've formed a new habit or enforced change, there may be occasional slip-ups, memory lapses or a rebellious urge to go back to your old routine/ways. For quite a while after change has occurred, there’s the possibility that it won’t always ‘stick’; the length of this transitional period differs for everyone. Eventually, though, with perseverance, the new habit or skill will become second nature and won’t require conscious effort to enforce it. Having someone on hand to support – maybe even to coach people through those moments of doubt will ensure a smooth transition.

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(D+V+B+S) > R?is the change process as a mathematical equation. Essentially, the impact of?D,?V,?B?and?S?combined outweigh?the possibility of?R. If one of the elements is skipped, lacking focus or missing, the equation becomes imbalanced, and the likelihood that change will fail to anchor itself will increase. The elements on their own are not enough to instil effective change either – all must be present and given particular focus and attention.

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The role of the leader/manager when change occurs in the workplace is fundamental and I’ll build upon this in the next post; it’s not a linear, one-way process – interaction, feedback, guidance, analysis and adjustment are important when large-scale change is necessary. Change can be an emotional journey for many people, which needs to be approached carefully if we are to avoid a ‘them and us’ situation.

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