Address the human side of change systematically: Any transformation of significance will create people issues. New leaders will be asked to step up, jobs will be changed, new skills and capabilities must be developed, and people will be uncertain and will resist.
Dealing with these issues on a reactive, case-by-case basis puts speed, morale, and results at risk. A disciplined approach to change management must be one of the four pillars of any transformation approach. This fact-based approach demands as much data collection and analysis, planning, and implementation discipline as a redesign of strategy, systems, or processes. It should be fully integrated into program design and decision-making, both informing and enabling strategic direction.
It should be based on a realistic assessment of the organization’s history, readiness, and capacity to change. And it should link multiple change initiatives together. A formal approach for managing change — beginning with the leadership team and then engaging key stakeholders and leaders — should be developed early but adapted often as change moves through the organization.
Change starts at the top and begins on day one: Change is inherently unsettling for people at all levels of an organization, and when it is on the horizon all eyes will turn to the CEO and the leadership team for strength, support, and direction. The leadership must change first to challenge and motivate the rest of the institution, speaking with one voice and “walking the talk” to model desired behavior.
At the same time, individual executive team members are going through their own personal changes and need to be supported so that they can be in agreement with their executive team members. Executive teams that work well together, that are aligned and committed to the direction of change, that understand the culture and behaviors it intends to introduce, and that can model those changes themselves are best positioned for success.
