Organisations are having to adapt all of the time. Problems arise, solutions are found and things move forward.
Sometimes the problems are not so simple to solve and what initially starts as a small problem can easily escalate into a much bigger challenge.
I ca remember when I was working in one organisation where there was historic underlying financial issues. Ultimately we were spending more than we were generating.
Identifying the problems and causes of the problems was one thing. Actually tackling them and making the sustained improvements was a completely different proposition.
Change clearly needed to happen but ultimately the big question that needed to be answered was what’s the benefit of making change?
Being able to answer that question is usually the catalyst for moving forward.
So how do you start to answer this?
A start point is to identify all of the different groups of people who might benefit from making the change. This will probably include employees and service users.
Next you need to consider what concerns they might have about the change for them personally, for their team or function.
Armed with this you can start to think about the best ways in engage ng them in constructive dialogue where you both listen and provide clarity around your thinking.
From this point you can start to put all of this into practice, learning and adjusting as you go along.
Will it be easy?
Definitely not. There will be setbacks. There will be times when it seems like two steps forward and three steps back.
There will be people who are more ready to embrace the change than others.
While you can’t stand still as an organisation, it’s important to realise that you can’t railroad change through and expect it to stick.
Ultimately you need to illustrate and show that the benefits of making change will far exceed those of doing nothing.
Goals and Achievements work in partnership with public and not for profit organisations to deliver change and improvement.