The Nature of Change

While I am a vocal advocate for thorough change planning, I know virtually all changes will meet with resistance during the implementing and sustaining phases. Change leaders must anticipate resistance and be prepared to deal with it.

Marketing experts have known for many years that there is an adoption curve for new ideas and fashions. The following figure depicts six different categories of people adopting change at various speeds:



While it’s possible that an entire stakeholder group would fall into one of the six categories, it is highly unlikely. Typically, individual members of a stakeholder group will be dispersed across the six categories. It’s necessary to have an implementation plan to deal with individuals in each category.

From a strategic perspective, it is important to focus on innovators and early adopters first. Innovators are the most open to change; they are the first to embrace something new. Early adopters follow soon after. It’s critical to get these people on board as quickly as possible.

The good news is that it is not necessary to have everybody on board initially. Research tells us that we only need 5-10% of the people adopting the change for the change to be “imbedded” in the organization. And, an adoption rate of 20-25% makes the change “unstoppable.” Whether you agree with those numbers, or not, isn’t the point. The important point is that it is not necessary to have 100% buy-in initially.

These adoption rates vary, of course, based on who adopts first. If senior leaders and opinion leaders adopt first, lower numbers are sufficient. If senior leaders and opinion leaders do not adopt early, larger numbers are necessary to implement the change.

The focus of the change leaders should not be on the late majority or late adopters. They will follow the innovators and early adopters.

Since diehards refuse to accept the change they must be warned, transferred, or dismissed. Rarely is it wise to spend limited resources on the diehards.

To read more about this and related organizational change issues, purchase a copy of my book, “Strategic Organizational Change,” on my website www.mikebeitler.com. Please feel free to contact me anytime.

Five-Step Model of Change

Dr. John Besaw, my friend and colleague in Seattle, has a five-step model for organizational change that is extremely helpful in planning any change effort. His change model describes where we are (“As Is”), where we want to go (“To Be”), and how we are going to get there.

Besaw believes change planning requires an understanding how we are going to get from where we are today to where we want to be. The process must be customized to meet the unique needs of the organization. The process is meant to be flexible, Besaw’s approach should empower the organization, not restrict it.

Besaw envisions a closed-loop, iterative process, broken down into five action steps:

· Where We Want to Be (“To Be”)

· Where We Are Today (“As Is”)

· Gap Analysis

· Prepare Action Plan

· Lead the Way

Step 1: Where We Want to Be (“To Be”)

Begin with the end in mind. Having a clear description of where we’re going is essential to any change process. Therefore, the first action is defining where we want to be.

The “to be” is simply a short statement that will serve to provide direction to the process. This short description is often called an “elevator speech.” An elevator speech is a concise description of where we want to be sometime in the future that can be clearly articulated during an elevator ride. Simplicity and clarity are the criteria here. Detailed planning will be worked out later in the process.

One of the best ways to develop this elevator speech is through a formal group process, possibly facilitated by an independent consultant. This will assist in getting buy-in and commitment. Trust the process; the words will come.

Step 2: Where We are Today (“As Is”)

After setting the direction with your “To Be” elevator speech, you need to make a complete analysis of where you are today, often called “as is” or “current reality.”

The people doing the job know best how it is being done. Their involvement in describing current reality is essential. This step requires listening skills.

Step 3: Gap Analysis

The gap analysis is a critical step in the Besaw approach. The gap analysis provides the foundation for action planning.

It is necessary to realistically assess the gap between where we want to be and where we are currently. This “needs analysis” must consider all of the following critical elements for successful organizational change:

· strategic alignment

· structural support

· cultural support

· human process support

· operational/technical process support

Step 4: Prepare an Action Plan

Preparing an action plan for successful organizational change must be built upon a thorough gap analysis (step 3). Unless the gaps are uncovered during the planning phase, they will require considerably more time during the implementing and sustaining phases.

The action plan must be customized for the organization. Following the action plan of another organization, even if it is referred to as “benchmarking” or “best practices,” is often short-sighted. Every change action plan must consider the uniqueness or “quirkiness” of the organization.

Step 5: Lead the Way

The involvement of organizational leaders cannot be over-emphasized. Leaders must be visible during the planning, implementing, and sustaining of change efforts. If the leaders are not visible, organizational members assume the change is not important. And once the change effort stalls, it’s difficult to get it moving forward again. Leaders must be visible.

Leading change is best accomplished by using a path-goal leadership approach. Path-goal leadership (perhaps more accurately called “goal-path leadership”) starts with a highly collaborative change planning process involving leaders and followers. The “path” becomes the focus after a collaboratively developed change plan is complete. The job of the leaders during the implementation is to clear the path so that followers can accomplish the goal.

To read more about this and related organizational change issues, purchase a copy of my book, “Strategic Organizational Change,” on my website www.mikebeitler.com.