Making Your Change and Transformation Efforts - More Successful - And Profitable (Part 2)

Last time we looked at the need for, but also the impact, of accelerating change on?organizations.

Organizations are responding to constant disruption and rapid technological advancement by attempting to establish a culture of continuous transformation. In this environment,?the task of transformation is never truly “done.”?There is always another project to launch,?another change to land.?

Also, in a recent Gallup survey, it is estimated that low employee engagement costs the?global economy $8.9 trillion, or 9% of global GDP.?

While change and transformation is not the only reason for low employee engagement, the relentless pursuit of change can lead to employee burnout and diminished?effectiveness and productivity through change fatigue.

Does Your Organization Understand the Reason for Change - What is the Future Vision

John Kotter, in his book, Leading Change, states that the biggest mistake?people make when trying to change organizations is to plunge ahead without first establishing a high enough sense of urgency in fellow managers and employees. This error is fatal because transformations always fail to achieve their objectives when complacency levels are high.

Too much past success, a lack of visible crises can lead to complacency, “Sure we have our problems, but they aren’t that terrible, and they are all over.”

In working with organizations in transforming their business, I find that gaining clarity and a sense of urgency is critical to success. One needs to garner executive commitment and, eventually, employee buy-in, to create that sense of urgency.

Research into 4 Ways to Help You Address and Fight Change Fatigue in Your Organization??

1. Reignite Engagement With a Sense of Purpose?

A disgruntled employee interrupts you in a meeting to ask why the business needs yet still?another change initiative. How will you answer them? ?

Cultivating a sense of purpose is one of your most effective levers in combating change fatigue.?

Creating purpose-driven ideas that resonate with key players will inspire others to follow,?naturally. “A strong sense of purpose - who we are, what we value, what defines us, and who?we want to become in the most challenging times - drives us forward, even when we are feeling?the most fatigued.”?

Are you:

• Emphasizing the “why” behind your actions?
• Aligning your activities with your purpose instead of becoming fixated on “what” is done?
• Creating a sense of purpose by giving every employee a clear line of sight into the part they personally play in helping your business fulfill its purpose?
• Communicating well to ensure everyone has a clear understanding of the reasons for the change - and exactly how the work they are doing - will help the team and business achieve its goals?

2. Pace, Rest, and Celebrate Wins

Thanks to the Agile movement, words like “sprint” have entered the lexicon and are deeply associated?with transformation and other change projects.?

But a sprint with no breaks - and no end in sight - will inevitably collapse.??

How can you:

• Instead, pace yourself and your team with the discipline of a long-distance runner?
• Think strategically about the timing of change initiatives and who will be on the project team?
• Not make the mistake of immediately reallocating employees to a new project after completing a previous one??
• Celebrate success after the completion of each project stage and set aside time to recover, reset, and rebuild cohesion within the team??

In our next article, I'll provide the next two of four ways to help you address and fight change fatigue in your?organization. ?

What do you think?

Use the comment area below and share your experience or advice on this topic.

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