It’s no coincidence that the vast majority of change initiatives within big organisations either run into trouble, take too long, go way over budget or deliver lacklustre outcomes. Recent extensive research at Oxford Saïd Business School points to just 8.5% of large projects coming in on time and on budget…when you add in delivery of the stated benefits as well the number drops to just 0.5%.
Shocking though these statistics are, the real question is what are the 0.5% doing? With success comes clues, so how could you emulate this in your transformation? How could you deliver excellence without years of study or spending huge amounts on consultancy?
Modelling success to fast-track your way to better results
Combining the latest science and best practice in human behaviour with many decades of practical experience the High Impact Changemaker System along with the Change Journey Navigator® guidance tool allows you to fast-track to excellence and emulate the very best transformation leaders. You’ll be using a data led approach and guided at each step so you can take the guesswork out of successful delivery of your transformation and without studying for years in change management methods or models.
The High Impact Changemaker System® was borne from experience of supporting clients during a period of major disruption, fuelled by the rapid shift to online media consumption and digital business. We became curious why big organisations struggle so much to adapt quickly, even when their very survival depends on it. In an era of increasingly rapid change, agility is clearly becoming critical for survival. And the news headlines continue to prove that size, longevity or reputation offer no protection against market forces.
Whether you are at the beginning, halfway through or even looking to increase adoption after you’ve implemented here are 5 simple questions to ask yourself.
Start by focusing on 5 fundamental or success factors that are highly evident in every successful change:
Energise
This is the basic fuel for change. It’s about creating a desire. We all need a good reason to change something, especially if it is important to us. Staying as we are normally feels more comfortable unless we are dissatisfied, and even then can feel like the safer option. Change involves risk and so the reason to do it needs to be compelling enough for everyone involved or affected to make that risk worth taking. Read More
Enable
With any change there will be forces that slow it down. Examples you may recognise are cultural norms “that will never work here”, organisational concerns such as threats to power bases or complex technology that is perceived as hard to change. Fear of losing something or of failing are other examples. Enabling is about understanding these forces and building strategies to reduce them and minimise their impact. Think of it as reducing the friction so that the change can move forward more freely. Read more
Execute
Even the most well intentioned and energised changes can become chaotic if they don’t feel achievable and the journey and progress are not clear. This in turn can lead to confusion and conflict very quickly. The focus here is on clarity of how the journey will be taken, what needs to be done in appropriate detail, how the change is progressing and what decisions need to be taken and by whom. Read more
Embed
Regardless of the situation, we all need time to adjust to any change and to embed the new behaviours that are required. When the pressure is on, there can be a tendency to revert back to what we are comfortable with. Consideration needs to be given to this, focusing on reinforcing, encouraging and rewarding the new behaviours and making the old ways hard or impossible to revert back to. Read more
Evaluate
The key to success is continuously watching, listening and learning. Continual evaluation of the other four elements is critical and works best when honest feedback is encouraged, especially when the news isn’t what we want to hear. Situations change all the time, especially where people are concerned so it’s important to keep the radar up and keep an open dialogue. Read more
Take the next step
If you are involved in delivering a transformation in your organisation or you are helping your client on a transformation journey then get in touch using the details below or join us at the next High Impact Changemaker event.
In the meantime try the Change Journey Navigator and start getting some answers right now.
