Introducing Change Into Your Organisation

For change to happen, it helps if the whole organisation really wants it. Consulting with influencing staff and stakeholders about the need for change is critical. To do this effectively, leaders must be clear about the need for change and that an urgent time frame is crucial.

1. Create a Sense of Urgency

Develop a sense of urgency around the need for change. This may help you spark the initial motivation to get things moving.

What you can do:

• Identify potential threats, and develop scenarios showing what could happen in the future.
• Examine opportunities that should be, or could be, exploited
• Start honest discussions, and give dynamic and convincing reasons to get people talking and thinking.
• Request support from outside stakeholders and research to strengthen your argument.

2. Establish a Guiding Coalition

Convince people that change is necessary. This often takes strong leadership and visible support from key people with your organisation. Managing change isn’t enough – you have to lead it.

What you can do:

• Identify the true leaders in your organisation.
• Ask for an emotional commitment from these key people.
• Check your team for weak areas, and ensure that you have a good mix of people from different areas/levels with your organisation

3. Develop a Vision and Strategy

When you first start thinking about change, there will be many great ides and solutions floating around. Link these concepts to an overall vision that people can grasp easily and remember.

What you can do:

• Determine the values that are central to the change.
• Develop a short summary that captures what you “see” as the future of your organisation.
• Create a strategy to execute that vision.

4. Communicate the Shared Vision

Your message will probably have strong competition from other day-to-day communications within the company, so you need to communicate it frequently and powerfully, and embed it within everything that you do.

What you can do:

• Talk often about your change vision.
• Openly and honestly address peoples’ concerns and anxieties
• Apply your vision to all aspects of operations – from PD to performance reviews.

5. Empower Employees

Hopefully, your staff wants to get busy and achieve the benefits that you’ve been promoting. But is anyone resisting the change? Are there any processes or structures that are getting in its way?

What you can do:

• Look at the organisational structure, job descriptions, and performance systems to ensure they’re in line with your vision.
• Recognise and reward people for making change happen.
• Identify people who are resisting the change, and help them see what’s needed.

6. Consolidate Gains

Real change runs deep. Quick wins are only the beginning of what needs to be done to achieve long-term change.

What you can do:

• After every win, analyse what went right and what needs improving.
• Set goals to continue building on the momentum you’ve achieved.

7. Anchor New Approaches

Finally, to make any change stick, it should become part of the core of your organisation.

What you can do:

• Talk about progress every chance you get. Tell success stories about the change process and repeat other stories that you hear.
• Include the change ideals and values when hiring and training new staff.

Success depends on your capacity to work with people, building relationships and commitment, and being open to the needs of those who are involved and affected.

Reference: Kotter, J. Leading Change. National Excellence in Educational Leadership Intiative