How driving change has changed itself

I still remember my go-to concept for change processes back in the days when my career was just about to get started: It used to be the 8 steps of change management, originally introduced by Dr. John Kotter. In short:

1. Create a sense of urgency
2. Build a guiding coalition
3. Form a strategic vision and initiatives
4. Communicate the vision
5. Enable action by removing barriers
6. Generate short-term wins
7. Build on change
8. Institute change.

While many of these points are still relevant, they were born of hierarchical thinking – years back, at a time when most companies were organized very hierarchically.

Nowadays however, business culture and work environments have changed: We increasingly think in networks, we value diversity and encourage innovation from within the company more than ever. The importance of having a job perceived as meaningful has increased and we have developed the way we define good leadership.?

As a consequence, the way businesses realize successful change projects has changed as well. In no particular order, I have put some interesting comparisons in writing:

From Management to Empowerment

???? ?????? ????????, change was initiated top-down. After the company’s top managers had decided on what should be changed, the rest of the company had to be convinced. That's why a "guiding coalition" was needed and formed.?

??????????, we invite people to be part of the change – not after the change strategy is finalized, but before! Change happens from within the organization! Instead of explaining to people why and how they have to change, we ask questions and encourage ownership for change: What do you think needs to change and what do you need to start changing it? A new attitude has taken root: Change is driven by empowering people, not by (micro-) managing them.?

From Facts to Purpose (& still Facts)

???? ?????? ????????, a change process was kickstarted by creating a sense of urgency. Usually by convincing with facts and speaking to people’s heads.

???????? ???? ?????????? ????????????????. ?????? ??????????, meaning has become just as important. Employees are not inspired by logic alone. We are driven by a fundamental desire to contribute to a bigger purpose, something that makes our work meaningful. So nowadays, we combine facts with a purpose-driven approach that speaks to people’s hearts and mobilizes behavioral change.

From Change Projects to Continuous Change

???? ?????? ????????, a change process was seen as a once-in-a-while-process to go through, which would then lead to a new status quo for at least a season.

??????????, change is our new normal. We live in a world of constant change and frequent disruptions. We are constantly adapting and learning the skills of agile working. What is valid and state of the art today might not be relevant tomorrow anymore. This is challenging, but offers great opportunities: When we see a need for change, we can react fast and exploit its potential before the window of opportunity closes. I believe we are all still in the learning stages of embracing this new reality, but it will make us more creative, more flexible and in the end, better.

From Change Management to Change Leadership

???? ?????? ????????, change was something to be managed.?

??????????, change is enabled by leadership. Servant leadership is on the rise, as well as the realization that managers don’t have to push change, but instead leaders are there to enable change. While strong management is still needed during a change process, strong leadership is at least equally important to inspire and empower people to drive change.?

From few Thought-Leaders to Value of Diversity

???? ?????? ????????, change was driven by a small group of people, often very high in the hierarchical order. They knew why to change, what to change and how to change.?

??????????, the world has become so much more complex, that it requires a very diverse set of people to set the strategic direction for the future - thus, the why, what and how to change. A centrally managed change program will most likely not consider all implications of change, so it requires people from across the organization to drive the change, to take corrections along the way and to act as role models of changing behaviors and mindsets.?

From Focus on Financials to Focus on Behaviors

???? ?????? ????????, most companies were built on the value of their tangible assets. Change therefore was dominated by the question of how to strategically invest funds. Most change projects were initiated with a financial-driven purpose and less centered around the individuum.

??????????, especially as talent is becoming the scarce resource, the most important assets are often intangible: brands, patents, people, culture, values, ... . Hence, change today revolves much more about mindsets and behaviors. People and their ideas have become the center of change. And that is just right. Our teams are more diverse and that has become one new key to success! As people from different backgrounds, cultures, business units and hierarchical levels come together, we all grow while continuously changing.

And the future?

This list of comparisons is certainly not a comprehensive list. And yet, it makes me excited about the future! We have become so much more people-centric and willing to embrace change - how phantastic will the future look like if we continue to change at that speed, or even accelerate?

What do you think? Do you have more then-and-now differences in mind that we could add to this list? Put them in the comments, I would love to hear about it! ??