Evolve or die: Must Do Rules for Leading Successful Change

One of my favourite quotes on change is from President Barack Obama. “Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time,” he said. “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”  It’s said that change is the new constant – that every leader has to navigate an uncharted path, and businesses must adapt to survive. After all, if your business isn’t changing, what are you doing? Often, though, leaders embark on change programmes which cost millions, impact their brand and alienate them from their peers and their employees. A study by David Leonard and Claude Coltea from Gallup estimated that 70% of all change initiatives fail because they overlook the critical role front-line managers play in influencing change.

There are all too many examples of commercial casualties which have succumbed to ill-managed change initiatives. Some failed to anticipate the impact of our digital world or responded too slowly: Blockbuster Video, Comet, Compaq and Borders are just a few names confined to the vaults of history. Even today, 78% of CIOs in a study from KPMG Harvey Nash said their digital strategies were either ‘moderately effective or worse’.

Other businesses have totally reinvented themselves through successful change initiatives: Nintendo, GE, and Apple are businesses unrecognisable to those of their heritage. All share a tenacity, a culture of innovation and an ability to respond swiftly to changing market conditions. But what are the other critical success factors behind a change programme which will set your business apart and carve out its future? Based on my experience guiding businesses through change, here’s what their leaders have in common: 

-       They have a clear direction: all leaders of change have a goal in sight. But to succeed, you need to visualise what success looks like at different levels, have a vision of where you want to end up and what the outcomes will be. How will this change delight your customers? Who will your business be able to compete with, that it couldn’t before? How will it make your employees’ jobs easier? What financial impact will it have on your business in the first year and beyond? What will your customers say about you? Is the change sustainable?

-       They align their change initiatives with their business goals: lots of businesses slip up here. Your change management initiatives must positively influence your goals. Speak to your stakeholders, use forecasting tools and predictive modelling, but do make sure your change is aligned to your goals.

-       They have the tools and technologies in place to succeed: this doesn’t necessarily mean making huge investments in new infrastructure. Vendors should work with what you already have in place, but suggest more efficient, cost-effective technologies.

-       They bring their people on the journey from the outset: this is the change management mantra. Tell people what you’re going to do; tell them how you’re doing it; and explain how it’s going. Explain your strategy to employees, stakeholders, investors, clients and partners, again and again. Tell them how it will impact them and improve their working lives. Reference it at every opportunity, take time to understand concerns, and invite, and listen to, feedback.

-       They inform, educate, communicate and reinforce their strategy: similar to the above, communication is everything. Together, these four actions represent the cornerstone of a successful change initiative. Successful leaders take these actions with authenticity and credibility, with integrity, honesty and humility, and generate respect and buy-in as they do so.

-       They quickly identify change agents who will make their transformation a success: these people aren’t necessarily leaders within the business. In fact, they’re not necessarily even a part of your business. Maybe there’s a blogger or journalist who’s always supported your business and is positive about change; perhaps there’s someone in your Employee Engagement team or HR team who’s been with your business for years; maybe it’s someone in IT support who’s wanted to be a part of something bigger but hasn’t had the opportunity. Being part of a successful transformation programme is – personally and professionally – incredibly rewarding, inspiring and motivating.

-       They have lightning-fast reflexes: we’ve all seen those businesses that have responded swiftly and publicly to market conditions. Even large, multinational businesses can respond quickly and positively to change as long as they have the right organisational structure in place. Successful leaders make this happen. For your business change to succeed, you must be flexible and agile enough to change tack, respond and react faster than your competitors.

-       They drive a culture that enables, encourages, fosters and rewards change: this doesn’t happen overnight, but creating a culture which embraces and adapts well to change will be hugely beneficial to your business.

-       They take ownership and solve problems: publicly taking ownership and accepting accountability for issues is a crucial part of leading successful change, both when the strategy runs smoothly and when there are bumps in the road. This comes back to honesty and credibility, two very important values held by successful leaders. Accepting problems and working to solve them are critical in managing change – and having a Plan B, built on accurate risk management and contingency planning, is essential

-       They measure and communicate progress and results: No-one, least of your leadership team and employees, should ever have to ask, “How’s the programme going?”. As leader, you need to measure progress, anticipate questions and inform your stakeholders. Communicating your progress will generate respect, trust and confidence in your leadership. The flip side is also true: not communicating progress will look like you have something to hide. Be open and share evidence of success in numbers where you can.

Strong leadership is a catalyst to successful change.  As Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change”.