Step1
The first error in change management is failing to emphasize the gravity of the situation. Failure to create a strong sense of urgency causes a change movement to lose momentum before it gets a chance to start. Establishing a true sense of urgency without creating an emergency is the first objective achieved to overcome the routine of daily business. Complacency is deeply rooted and breaking out is often underestimated. Past successes and lack of a visible crisis on the horizon keeps organizations from recognizing the need for change. Failure to create urgency allows people to remain comfortable and they will not see the need to contribute to the program. Resistance remains high because no one believes the change is eminent. Complacency paralyzes driving forces behind change.
Step2
Change requires energy, and energy is generated much faster when more than one individual it trying to get things ramped up. Failing to create a strong guiding coalition is the result of not having enough senior leadership and key players involved in the architecture of the transformation. Commitment from the president, upper management, and key personnel with real authority, expertise, solid reputation, and strong leadership skills are needed to drive change through an organization. Coalitions without strong leadership cannot achieve the power and drive required to overcome the inertia in a stagnant organization. Without proper authority and reputation to drive change, the initiative cannot overcome the will to remain complacent.
Step3
Make sure the vision is well defined and powerful. This is the statement inspires people to move into action. Failure to create a powerful of vision is a critical error. Vision aids in creating a clear understanding of the direction and goals of an organization. Communicated properly, it can provide the entire organization with a shared view of future direction in the organization. A common vision provides guidelines for decision making and keeping the organization in alignment with its goals and strategies. Failure results in confusion and resistance from employees and causes the most inane decisions to become a debate.
Step4
Even the clearest of visions will be destroyed if failure to communicate the vision clearly and broadly throughout the entire organization occurs. The argument that time is money often wins here. Time is money, but taking a few minutes each day, or at the end of a meeting, raising the questions of how projects and issues align with the vision only takes a few moments. Multiply these times the number of employees communicating the vision, and it becomes exponential. Behavior of those communicating the vision is also crucial to sending an accurate message.
Step5
Employees recognize lip service when they see it. If vital players behave in manner that is consistent with the vision, their body language will communicate this loud and clear. Behavior must be in alignment with the vision. Failure to communicate the vision verbally and nonverbally results in employee cynicism and disbelief in the new message. Cynicism builds barriers and barriers breed excuses. Failure to remove barriers to the new vision will cause a transformation to become derailed. These obstacles can be real or perceived, but in either case, block the ability to move forward. An obstacle can be structural, procedural or be an individual’s behavior. Anything that obstructs the move to change is a barrier that must be addressed appropriately and completely. Avoiding confrontation and the removal of obstacles disempowers employees and undermines change efforts .
Step6
In order for long-term change to take root, people must see real results. Creating short-term wins keep the target in the "achievable" zone. Without incremental signs of success belief in the plan falters or begins to appear completely unattainable. A plan to achieve incremental goals with recognition and rewards will ensure the success of long-term change. Failure to achieve short-term wins will cause the sense of urgency to lapse and complacency will quickly reestablish itself .
Step7
After getting the movement on track, people begin to see the difference the change can make in the organization. Small victories add up, and a major performance improvement is achieved. Organizations tend to believe that once they have accomplished some change, the worst of the battle is over. The tendency to declare victory too soon reduces the sense of urgency and the organization will slip back its old patterns of behavior. Letting up on the gas prematurely causes the forward motion to stall.
Step8
You cannot declare victory until the changes have become embedded into the organizational culture. Failure to embed changes into the corporate culture sets the organization up to fall back into old habits. A complete transformation may take years to accomplish. To sustain the change, it must become a part of the organization. As new employees join the organization and old employees leave, the torch is passed. If this item is neglected all the work that went into producing the change will not survive the first round of succession in leadership.
Step9
Undertaking organizational change is an enormous task that requires unwavering support, planning, and determination. Allowing complacency, inconsistent behavior, obstacles or internal sabotage can derail change. Organizational change takes years to accomplish through the effort of many hard working dedicated employees. Transformation remains fragile until it becomes ingrained in the culture of an organization. With all of these things working against change, avoiding these eight common mistakes is one way to help ensure the complete successful transformation of an organization.
Keep Moving
Enthusiast 
Comments
girliesue said
on 4/23/2008 This is a very useful article.