Step 5 & 6 of Kotter’s Change model. ‘Empowering Broad-based action & Generating Short term wins’
In this post I’m combining the 5th and 6th steps in Kotter’s model as in my experience they are interdependent. Empowering broad-based action is when the Change ‘rubber hits the road’, when you remove obstacles to change, amend structures that inhibit progress and encourage new ideas and risk taking. Supporting this process with planned ‘quick wins’ is essential to maintain the momentum you’ve built up and to make the vision real to the people in your organisation.
The role of the Leadership team and the ‘Guiding Coalition’ at this stage of the change programme is critical. Clear communication of the actions being undertaken will reinforce the commitment to the new ways of working. Sharing the successes of the quick wins will help maintain the momentum and make it difficult for people to revert to their former ways of working.
One of the ways that the Leaders in the business can address potential obstacles to change is to ensure that they’ve listened to the feedback from the people in the organisation and their representatives prior to planning your initial actions, your quick wins. The more you can involve people with shaping the future vision, the more likely you are to increase the level of commitment to the new ways of working within your organisation. In my experience the companies that have involved their people in the change process, so that changes are made with them, not done to them, experience levels of resistance to change that are much reduced.
Nevertheless, the change team need to be sensitive to the signs of resistance to the change programme. One of the most common types of resistance, which can sometimes go unnoticed, is inertia. Those resistant to change find ways to slow things down and sap the energy from the process. The antidote is simple, create energy and move at pace. Action plans, clearly outlined with measurable targets can really help here. Why? well people may well say that they are aligned to the change plan but as we all know words are cheap, actions will be the best way to measure progress. In organisations that are dispersed over many locations and countries, coordinated and measurable action plans are the only tangible way to ensure that progress is being made.
At this stage of your change journey, its all about building a level of momentum that clearly demonstrates to your organisation that there is no going back. As Kotter says ‘..the primary purpose of the first 6 phases of the transformation process is to build sufficient momentum to blast through the dysfunctional granite walls found in so many organisations’. As many of us know from experience, sometimes these walls can be very thick!
In my next instalment I’ll discuss how we can consolidate the changes and anchor them in the culture of the business.
If you’d like to discuss this article with me in more detail or a specific issue in your business, contact me via my website, www.hr-changeconsultancy.com or email me tim.ellis@hr-changeconsultancy.com
John Kotter is a Harvard Business School professor and world-renowned change expert. Launched in 1996, his 8-Step Change Model from his book, “Leading Change” remains one of the most popular and well-established change approaches.
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