Why Only 3 out of 10 Change Initiatives Succeed – 7 Principles for Managing Change
Employers are continually introducing changes into the workplace – from revisions to health care plans to new products and services to new human resource and management policies. However, as many as 7 out of 10 of these changes never fully achieve their desired objectives, according to ClearRock Inc.
While that high failure rate may be surprising, even less well known is why the other 30 percent of change initiatives succeed.
Most leaders don’t follow seven basic principles necessary to ensure the success of change programs. They fail to build broad-based support, ask employees for input, help workers understand what’s happening, lead by example, manage the impact of change, communicate completely and frequently enough, and solicit feedback.
Executives and managers too often regard implementing change as a ‘top-down’ process. Initiatives are frequently developed at the top management levels without the input from – and support of – those further down the organizational level and then never really have the buy-in needed to succeed.
ClearRock offers the following 7 Principles For Managing Change based on its experience with helping organizations implement changes:
- Acquire broad-based support. Change programs often lack buy-in from those affected by them. Sharing responsibility during the change process generates the involvement needed to ensure success. The more involved others are in the change effort, the more supportive they will be.
- Ask employees for solutions to problems. One of the biggest complaints employees have is that they feel they do not have input into decisions that affect them. Present the problem to employees and seek their input into potential solutions, rather than issuing top-down directives.
- Build a mandate for change. Leaders need to encourage others to accept change and help them understand its benefits and advantages to the organization as well as to them. Outline where everyone fits into the implementation of the change.
- Lead by example. Changes, especially ones that may be painful for employees, will be more successful when management leads by example and shows how they are also being affected.
- Manage the impact of change on others. Change requires patience and a willingness to give it the time it requires to succeed. Managers must deal with a wide range of others’ emotional reactions to change.
- Communicate fully and frequently. Much of the fear surrounding change is fear of the unknown. Both the benefits and any possible disadvantages of change programs must be communicated to all employees.
- Provide a forum for reaction. Employees need an opportunity to share information with each other and management, to ask questions, and discuss issues of concern. Employees’ comfort level with change rises when information is shared, questions are answered, and concerns are addressed.
