As the formal leader of your organisation you have the power and influence to exercise considerable leverage over your change initiative, and not just during the start-up phases but also throughout the ongoing implementation.
Here are 6 "big picture" areas that require your ongoing focus and attention:
(1) Relaxing the command-control management style
This first and biggest step is one that can only be taken by you as the CEO, and your senior management team, and that is to relinquish (or at least relax) "command and control". Not totally of course, as there is always a need for firm direction and senior management edicts, but sufficiently to empower the change team leaders to identify and work in collaboration with the informal networks.
(2) Dealing with the politics in change-supportive ways
You are in the prime position to understand the politics, and you have the power to influence the political self-interest of the individuals and groups you are dealing with in change-supportive ways.
(3) Setting the emotional tone
It is sobering realisation that as leader of your organisation, a big part of the culture and "general feel" or "emotional tone" of what it is like to work in your organisation is determined to a very large extent by you. Goleman et al have research-based evidence that your style as leader - how you communicate - determines about 70% of the emotional climate which in turns drives 20-30% of business performance or your organisation.
(4) Skilling your people in communication competencies
Communication is key to change. How you are as a person models the behaviours, especially the communication behaviours, of your senior team and through them the whole of your organisation.
Thus, communicating for change means skilling your people in communicative competences such as empathy, active listening, trust, risk-taking, and courage. It also means creating the space and opportunities for this to happen.
(5) Sustaining the effort
Kotter is very clear that a major mistake that change leaders make is to declare victory too soon. Early wins are important and need to be celebrated, but the effort needs to be recalibrated and intensified at these times and the tendency and temptation to "ease up" should be resisted.
For any change to be sustained, it needs to become embedded in the new "way we do things around here" - that is the culture. A major part of this is for you, as ultimate change leader, to ensure the articulation of the connections between new behaviours and organisational success.
This is where you - and your coalition team and your change team - talk about progress every chance you get. Tell success stories about the change process, and repeat other success stories that you hear.
As ultimate change leader, this is all about your continuous big picture focus to ensure that the change is seen in every aspect of your organisation.
(6) "Do it different, do it right" creates a change receptive culture
Through your focus on sustaining the effort, not only will the change become embedded in the culture but, and as a very welcome by-product, you are creating an adaptive culture more able and receptive to deal with further future change.
Stalling Points
Not doing these things!
Pressure of business as usual takes over.
Critical Action Point
Recognising that these are 6 "big picture" areas that do require your ongoing personal focus and attention.
Staying in the loop.
To find out more about "Change Processes That Work For People" please see: Change Management Templates.
Equip yourself to avoid the 70% failure rate of all change initiatives with this FREE download: Starting the Change Process
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