Change initiatives might be well defined, rightly prioritized, and their organizational impact perfectly understood, but without a compelling vision and an inclusive approach, mindsets will not change, and these initiatives will never get successfully deployed throughout the organization.
Therefore, each of the change initiatives have to be modeled along a 4-step change adoption path:
- A compelling story: to be adopted, the change has to be understood and make sense for everyone impacted.
- Reinforcement mechanisms: a clear message has to come from the organization as to the importance of the change; it has to be supported by tangible and visible efforts in terms of management, support, visibility, etc.
- Skills and competency: for an organization to change, every participant has to change, and for anyone to change, learning and development, post-implementation support, etc. have to be available.
- Role modeling: ultimately, the exemplar behavior of both management and valued peers will amplify the message and thus, broaden the base. Change is a movement!
Source: Keller, Scott, and Price, Collin, McKinsey & Company, 2011, Beyond Performance: How Great Organizations Build Ultimate Competitive Advantage. Hoboken. John Wiley & Sons.