LEADING WITH CHANGE

Change is an inescapable reality of the workplace, and in life. Finding ways to thrive in times of change can help us in all aspects. Change can be scary. Change is often resisted. But by following these principles of change, you will be surprised at how change will be perceived. Many of these principles are based on John Kotter’s book, “Leading Change.”

1. Create Urgency.
   Tell others why it matters. If they don’t see an immediate reason for change, why should they push for it? Creating urgency helps fight against complacency. Communicate the importance of acting right away.
2. Build a Team Who Will Support and Communicate the Change
   Building a group of people behind you to support the change, help you guide the change, and communicate the change, will help you gather strength in your change efforts.
3. Create the Vision for Change
   Clearly articulate the vision of what the change will look like, once you’re there, and how you can create action steps that are directly linked to the vision.
4. Communicate the Vision
   Once the vision is created, share it. Treat the vision like a movement. Share the journey with as many as you can. The more people who know about it, the more they can get on board.
5. Get Rid of Barriers that Get In Your Way
   Figure out what is in your way of a successful change effort, and what could be a barrier in the future. Do what you can to remove those barriers. They could be the mindsets of certain people, processes, systems, that need to be removed or improved upon to enable the change effort to move forward.
6. Celebrate Short-Term Wins
   Celebrating short term wins feels good and should be celebrated and communicated to keep up the energy and enthusiasm for the change effort.
7. Continue the Momentum
   It’s easy to quit or slow down after a few small wins and celebrations, but that is the time to keep charging ahead. Remember the vision, and keep moving ahead until the vision becomes reality.
8. Institute Change
   Once the change has been created and the vision has become reality, establish connections between the new behaviors and habits associated with the change and success. We are creatures of habits so instilling that these new change efforts is doable and sparks interest and curiosity of those we are impacting.