Finishing the Change You Started

When it comes to realizing change within a business, my experience has been that it must start at the top. The example set by an effective and committed leader is the ultimate impetus for growth in an organization. Yet, the responsibility of these individuals extends beyond simply initiating change: they must also act as its stewards of change.

Typically, I find that the most common mistake leaders make is that they assume that once they have begun the process, they trust that the change will happen on its own. Having announced their grand vision with inspiring speeches and beautiful laminated handouts, these leaders will become lax in their oversight of the process and falsely assume that the rest of the company is already on board. Of course, the new behaviour is not so easily embedded, especially in complex organizations with hundreds (if not thousands) of employees. To avoid this “set it and forget it” pitfall, I recommend that leaders keep their finger on the pulse of implementation by following these 4 distinct steps:

1. Clearly define the change and ensure the change is understood by each team member. Help every individual within the organization connect the dots, and take care to ensure those individual interpretations of what change could mean align with the reality of your vision.

2. Confirm that every individual in the organization accepts and is committed to making the changes required. Engage employees at all levels by having senior leadership dialogue with them on an individual basis.

3. Have a motivational platform to launch and implement the change. Town-hall meetings, barbecues, or an intranet website: pick a platform that makes sense for your organization and keep it consistent.

4. Have a disciplined approach to review the change achieved and to redirect and reinforce the elements of the changes that are not being achieved. Schedule weekly meetings between the executive and implementation teams to keep goals aligned and progress on track.

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