Making Change Happen: Our 9-Step Change Cycle
Change is an inevitable part of your organization’s journey toward growth and success. However, managing change can be a complex and challenging process. That’s where Change Consulting Scotland’s 9-Step Change Cycle comes into play.
A tested hybrid of proven methodologies, discover this comprehensive framework developed by Change Consulting Scotland to help you make changes happen — and stick!
Our approach combines experience and methodology from Lean Six Sigma, with Harvard Business Professor John Kotter’s Change Principles — two cornerstone schools of practice for any Process Improvement or Change Management professional.
1. The Urgent Case for Change
The first step in the Change Consulting Scotland’s Change Cycle is recognizing and establishing the need for change. It involves conducting a thorough analysis of the current state, identifying areas for improvement, and defining the desired future state. This step lays the foundation for the entire change process.
2. Lead from the Top
Once the need for change has been established, you will need to develop a robust change strategy. This means you absolutely need your organization’s leaders to champion the change! These are usually your CEO, departmental Director, or other senior position. Those in positions of authority and your key leaders must be at the forefront of your change ranks and set the pace: they will be able to approve key decisions as well as engage and/or recruit the necessary people to unite as your Agents of Change.
3. Develop your Change Vision
Leadership must set a clear vision for change: how will processes and people work when the change has happened? What will your clients and customers notice?
This stage involves setting and committing to clear statements of how your organisation will operate once change has happened. Roadmapping, goal-setting and identification of key performance indicators are all important activities in setting your Vision.
4. Communicate, communicate, communicate!
Minimize shock and resistance and maximize motivation and support by keeping both internal and external stakeholders on board. Have a think about which communication methods are most effective and why. One email is rarely enough to ensure everyone understands what’s happening. In-person conversations, workshops, focus groups, Q&As, email updates, newsletters, phonecalls, additional agenda items to scheduled calls should all be considered. Having a clear communication action plan helps build understanding, alignment, and rally support for the change amongst all stakeholders.
5. Assemble your Agents of Change
Your Agents of Change are individuals with diverse skills and expertise who drive the change initiative forward. They are responsible for implementing the change strategy, engaging stakeholders, and addressing any challenges that come up along the way. Identify individuals within your organisation who can do this. (If you lack the skills or bandwidth within your organisation, it could be worth calling in some professionals like us who can train your people up, offer experience and hands, or point you in the right direction.)
6. Rethink Governance
Have a look at your processes. How are you monitoring and track progress across your organisation? What are your processes for checking the validity of information or approving activities? Do these processes help or hinder? Dedicate time to reconfiguring these as needed so that they support the changes you want to make happen. At this stage, Lean Six Sigma techniques serve to map processes and identify areas for improvement based on real and observable facts.
7. Celebrate Early Wins
Change can be hard work and with big change, morale can drop. Take every opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the hard work of your people. No matter how relatively small your wins may be, take a moment and appreciate them. It’s easy to focus on the mountain that still needs to be overcome. Early celebrations can boost motivation and morale for changes ahead.
8. Keep on Keeping on
Initiating change is the easy part (eek), embedding the change means continuing to pay attention to the impact of your change initiatives and adapting as the situation needs. Your people may feel disheartened and resistance may occur in the middle stages, keep the ball rolling and repeat the Change Cycle as needed! Involvement of Leadership, Vision reminders, continued communication and a culture of continuous improvement are essential to making change happen and stick!
9. Reflect and Refine
Organisational change is rarely, if ever, perfect first time (or any time!) Lasting and effective change means paying attention to the context and reality of your organisation. Change does not happen in isolation which means that over the course of your change project, various situations will shift and you will need to adjust your actions as required. As your customers, markets, society and technology shifts, so will your organisation’s change needs.
We’ll be publishing a series of 9 articles that deep-dive into our 9-Step Change Cycle, with example scenarios. Share your thoughts in the comments, contact us, or book a free 30-minute chat with us. We also offer a wee range of free downloadable Resources via our website.
