| How many times have you announced a big | | | | behavioral DNA of the company to your new |
| strategy or organization change and just when | | | | strategy will not happen. The political |
| you thought it was working it becomes obvious | | | | network will slowly weave its web and reform |
| the change didn't happen? When your idea for | | | | components of the plan and shift the |
| a new significant change in strategy is still | | | | priorities of the key stakeholders back to |
| fresh and new, you must work to gain your | | | | their familiar fear-based roles. Your entire |
| organization's psychological momentum shift | | | | plan will slowly unravel. You may |
| towards the idea. The organization hears | | | | successfully implement superficial elements |
| your message from top to bottom and | | | | of the plan, so that external measures and |
| internalizes what the change means to them, | | | | positioning of the "new" process or function |
| how they might benefit from it, and what they | | | | appear to be consistent with your plan. |
| might need to do to make it happen. You've | | | | Employees will take their cues from their |
| got everyone in the company talking about it. | | | | leaders, and if those leaders are working |
| Your top management team are communicating | | | | against your strategy their own behavior will |
| and demonstrating their enthusiastic support. | | | | fall in line with that. The result is that |
| Indeed, all of your key leaders, including | | | | nothing more than lip service will be applied |
| highly influential top performers are acting | | | | to implementing the new strategy.How do you |
| favorably toward the idea. If you are going | | | | reduce the effect of the inertia forces to |
| to build momentum behind this change to drive | | | | build and maintain momentum for the |
| it to its desired conclusion, then your work | | | | change?First, create a plan that involves |
| starts now.The first one hundred days - even | | | | all of the key leadership up front. Get each |
| the US President issues a "100 Day Report". | | | | of them to focus substantial energy over a |
| Why? A common mistake that many leaders make | | | | period of just a few short months to |
| is to announce the change, hear the instant | | | | achieving the goals of the change plan. |
| positive feedback (ignore the naysayer's | | | | Create an all-consuming short term project to |
| input) and assume that the organization will | | | | reduce the opportunity for the political |
| take it from there. The truth is that the | | | | fabric to undermine your plans. Keep |
| excitement reaches a plateau before the real | | | | stakeholders very busy demonstrating to you |
| impact of the change on each individual | | | | and to each other that they are taking the |
| begins to set in. At this point, you could | | | | steps necessary to plan and implement the |
| just as easily gain momentum and move forward | | | | change and becoming champions of the change |
| or reverse direction and fail completely. | | | | with their employees. Don't give them time |
| This is the time for the idea to become a | | | | to evaluate or modify the goals of your plan |
| mandate: for it to take root with all the | | | | based on their prior political |
| key stakeholders who need to be accountable | | | | ambitions.Next, tie business operational |
| for important elements of the plan's | | | | performance and expected outcome based |
| success.You cannot over-communicate, during | | | | results measures to each stakeholder's |
| this 100 day period, to the leadership team | | | | project plans. This helps them identify new |
| no matter how frequent and repetitive your | | | | metrics for their success that can only be |
| interactions have to become. The more you | | | | measured if they successfully manage to |
| communicate and the more you demonstrate that | | | | change process to its desired conclusion. |
| you are holding the key stakeholders and | | | | They will have no choice but to connect their |
| everyone in the company accountable for | | | | success to the new strategy.Then, involve key |
| executing the change, the more likely the | | | | influential top performing employees early in |
| momentum will build in your favor. Have each | | | | the plan and get them similarly committed to |
| stakeholder report frequently on progress | | | | the outcomes of the change. They will be |
| toward achieving key milestones, even if the | | | | your eyes and ears and feet on-the-ground to |
| ultimate implementation of some of them will | | | | influence and keep the rest of your employee |
| occur many months later. Progress reports | | | | population on track. They will also help |
| should be both upwards to the CEO, and | | | | squelch the naysayer chatter and provide you |
| downwards to the employee population. This | | | | with useful insights and feedback that you |
| will serve to reinforce their commitment and | | | | can act on to head off the development of |
| also demonstrate their support to their peer | | | | derailing tactics. Consider adjusting |
| group - another important factor in keeping | | | | employee reward and recognition and learning |
| the momentum going.Inertia is the enemy of | | | | and development systems to help guide and |
| change and there are three key powerful | | | | direct employee behaviors that are consistent |
| factors feeding that inertia in most | | | | with your new strategy.Finally, conduct |
| companies. The first is fear of the unknown | | | | weekly progress review meetings, including |
| (aka "what's in it for me?"). If employees | | | | direct one-on-one interactions with the key |
| are uncertain about what this change will | | | | leaders. Provide support and encouragement |
| mean for them later on they will be reluctant | | | | and maintain the focus on the goals of the |
| to commit. The second is the fear of losing | | | | program. Make the agenda of the new strategy |
| control. In every organization there is a | | | | and the project to get there more important |
| political fabric that determines how things | | | | and time consuming - for a while - than the |
| will get done and who will do it and even | | | | agenda of the political network. After the |
| what things may get done. This political | | | | hundred day period - when it is clear the |
| fabric is driven by the personal desires and | | | | program is being executed in a complete and |
| goals of key individuals to gain more | | | | thorough way, the emphasis on weekly review |
| control. The fabric is powered by the | | | | meetings can shift a little and spread out to |
| network of people who stand to gain from the | | | | monthly and even become integrated into the |
| influence of the political leaders, or who | | | | normal business and operational reviews. |
| cooperate out of fear that their positions | | | | And of course, communicate, communicate, |
| will be threatened if they don't. The third | | | | communicate.Patrick Smyth is a management |
| is lack of leadership. When a leader embarks | | | | consultant focused on improving productivity |
| on a major change initiative - such as | | | | in a sustained and repeatable way through |
| entering new markets with new products, or to | | | | effective business, product management, and |
| change the entire customer service | | | | product marketing processes. Patrick has over |
| orientation, or re-branding the company and | | | | 25 years experience in information technology |
| its products - the change and the leader | | | | & services, business-to-business product |
| must quickly achieve a highly visible | | | | management and marketing leadership. His |
| position as a mandate of the organization.If | | | | talents include aligning companies and their |
| the momentum on the project is not achieved | | | | strategies with product strategy, management |
| and sustained through highly visible | | | | & positioning, and building highly effective |
| leadership in the first one hundred days, | | | | marketing processes & teams. His focus on |
| then the likelihood of its success will be | | | | customer experience management optimizes |
| seriously diminished. In all likelihood the | | | | sales & marketing productivity long term |
| changes needed to shift the operational and | | | | customer relationships. |