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