How to succeed at Transformational Change

Constant change is common and we adjust almost without thinking about the change. It happens in everything we do and experience, every single day. It happens in our homes, in our communities, in our shopping experience, and in our work environments. Think of traffic patterns, new products, contacts, and you can think of hundreds more that happen daily. We are experts at adapting to small, incremental change.

But, transformational change is different – it is the holy grail of change. It’s a 180 shift that changes our thinking, behaviors, the way we see ourselves and others. We are so comfortable adapting to change in all aspects of our lives, but what is it about transformational change that is so hard? In an organization, transformational change is generally a broad change that affects the services, structure, and culture. For example, a move to deliver services online as opposed to in a specific location is a big transformational change which can improve services and cut costs. Sounds great in theory, but on the ground, transformational change is scary because it can affect our job, we may feel threatened with new technology, or new colleagues who may be threatening. Change affects our deeply held beliefs about how work should flow, how we structure our information, how we interact with each other, and how we communicate. As a result, transformational change can make us fearful, affect our self-confidence, sense of worth, and ability to operate and function effectively.

I learned so much from managing change, and over time, started to see patterns of what really worked to help the change stick. The key is to focus, and never lose sight of the people impact of change. It is not enough to show the great cost benefits, time savings, and happy customers. And sure, all the other tools to help manage the change including project management, timelines, new processes, and new technology need to be appropriately managed. But the key is in the ‘how’ the change is planned and managed with the people impacted. Leaders of change always need to position the change by considering the impact to the people who are most directly impacted. There are 5 key components that need to be in place and managed for transformational change to succeed, and I have described these below with the focus on the people impact. I am not advocating that complex transformational change can or should be condensed to a 5 step checklist. These 5 pieces though, are absolutely key to help you start to involve and think about the people involved, and this will give you a greater chance for project success!

But the key is in the ‘how’ the change is planned and managed with the people impacted. Leaders of change always need to position the change by considering the impact to the people who are most directly impacted. There are 5 key components that need to be in place and managed for transformational change to succeed, and I have described these below with the focus on the people impact. I am not advocating that complex transformational change can or should be condensed to a 5 step checklist. These 5 pieces though, are absolutely key to help you start to involve and think about the people involved, and this will give you a greater chance for project success!

Reason. Change needs a reason and needs to be aligned with the organization’s vision and values. People need to understand, and ‘buy in’ and see themselves in the bigger vision before the full impacts of the change will be absorbed and championed. Leaders need to take the time to understand the change before taking any action – ask questions, read, meet with decision makers. You need to really know what is happening and why before you can lead the change or effectively explain it to staff, partners and others with whom you work. People will want to know how it impacts them before they can even consider contributing to the organizational and process changes needed for success.
Together. People from all across the organization and sometimes outside of the organization need to be involved in the planning and co-creating of the new structure and details of the roadmap of how to get there – the ‘change plan’. A huge part of the change is the change process itself and impact of that process on people. This critical start, can either build a negative momentum or a positive momentum of change. A ‘fake’ change, or change that is not seen to address the real issues that have been identified and solutions planned collaboratively, or that does not reflect the organizational vision or culture is quickly and easily recognized by staff.
Change Strategy. Change can create chaos, fear, and paralysis. A change strategy that is developed in a collaborative environment, and involves employees and key stakeholders well planned and communicated change strategy clarifies the roadmap, ensures key actions are planned and completed, and establishes a governance structure. Organizations often have consultants lead major change projects, where outside expertise can help with change momentum. Makes sense – a roadmap showing a plan, with dates, results, who will be involved, and what information will be available helps put the change into perspective.
Environment. Leaders start the discussion and create space for change by communicating their support for the change process often and at different levels of the organization. Leaders need to be clear on the level of risk and parameters for the change so people are comfortable in how they can participate. They need to clarify to what extent the change is open for input, what is expected of them, and what they can expect to see happening. Creating an open environment where people know how to contribute, and know where to get clear information helps organizations develop a continuous change mindset.
Leadership. Consistent and visible support by leaders for the change is critical. People want to hear from leaders, to see how they are dealing with the change, and take cues from leader behaviors and communications. Leaders need to ensure that front line staff are involved and engaged, that they have opportunities to contribute to the assessment of the issues, and planning for the change. At a personal level, leaders need to understand that transformational change is not linear and will probably not be accepted at stage 1. They need to prepare to persevere and gain momentum with champions already moving forward. Leaders also need to be personally prepared for the change, specifically the time and emotional commitment, as leader capacity for change is a key component for transformational change.

Contact me at winnie@kooycommunications.com to set up a complimentary call about how we might work together.