Change Management
Change Management
By learning how to manage change, companies and organizations can ensure that they can beat the odds—and reap lasting benefits from their change initiatives.
The eight-stage change process
By following an eight-stage change process, companies and organizations can dramatically improve the chances that their change initiatives will succeed. These stages equally apply to small, local initiatives and large, organization-wide efforts.
The eight stages are:
- Create a sense of urgency
- Establish a change coalition
- Develop a vision and strategy
- Communicate the vision and strategy
- Develop an implementation plan
- Remove obstacles
- Generate short-term wins
- Solidify gains
Change is Constant
The only constant in today's organizations is change. In the current fast-paced business climate, any enterprise that doesn't continually reinvent itself runs the risk of lagging behind its competitors. A company or organization can't afford to stand still—not even for a moment.
In all industries, sectors and fields, the challenges of increasing competition, technological changes, financial upheaval, demographic shifts, and other factors have made continuous organizational change more vital than ever before. Whether the change is small or an organization-wide transformation, companies may feel overwhelmed by the challenge.
The good news: By having a clear vision and a sound plan for your initiative, companies and organizations can effectively and efficiently manage change.
Change programs and initiatives can take many forms. Some are strategic; others are more operational. Some are radical and take place only once; others are more incremental, purposefully paced to promote continuous improvement. Some change efforts involve the entire organization; others are limited to one department or team.
