Making change whether in an organisational or individual context is usually very challenging. If you think about it this should not be that surprising.
Moving from where you are now to what is perceived as a better future involves an element of risk. When people start to think about the risks or what could go wrong, fear kicks in. At that point it is all too easy to do nothing.
Yet in the organisational context, failing to do anything could in some situations have catastrophic consequences. Just look at organisations who no longer exist because they failed to change or adapt to technological advances or customer preferences.
So how can you reduce the risk of failing to make effective change?
Be Clear That You Want It Enough
Change requires an awful lot of commitment. There will be times when your commitment will be tested to the limit. If you don’t want it enough, it will be all too easy to throw in the towel at the first sign of it being challenging or difficult.
Involve People
The truth is no one leader makes change. Teams of people working together to achieve a common purpose deliver change. Involving people not just in the implementation of change but also in shaping the strategy and planning the change will greatly increase the chances of success.
Challenge Your Assumptions
When people are passionate and committed to something, it is easy to become overly optimistic about the benefits and understate the risks around the money and people factors. Make a point of standing back and critically appraising your assumptions objectively.
Develop A Robust Risk Framework
Within this risk framework, identify and assess all risks. Determine what mitigation strategies you will use to minimise the impact if the identified risks materialise. Know that you can implement those risk mitigation strategies before you have to use them. Make sure that you make the risk management process an integral part of your change process.
Build In Contingency
Even the best plans can hit unexpected problems that would be difficult to foresee. This is why building in contingencies is an important part of your planning.
The Bottom Line: No change is ever achieved without some element of risk. The important thing is to ensure that you are proactive in your approach to reducing the risk of failing to make effective change.
Goals and Achievements work in partnership with public and not for profit organisations to deliver change and improvement.