Change is part and parcel of the role of being a leader these days. The rate at which things evolve means that no organisation can really afford to stop or standstill. One of the things I have noticed about change, especially large scale change is that there is no lack of expertise in process or methodologies.
On the other hand when it comes to actually delivering successful change, the results are often hugely disappointing. Why is this?
The first reason in my experience is that leaders want to move from step 1 to the end point in one move. Now we all know that making any sort of significant change requires a series of small wins. A top athlete does not for example go from beginner to Olympic gold medal in days. It takes of years of effort.
Another reason is that leaders are sometimes reluctant to do enough experimentation. When we experiment we try something on a small scale to start with. From that small start we get feedback it helps us determine our next move.
A third and often significant reason is that they fail to get the buy-in. In any situation where there is likely to be large scale change there are going to be multiple stakeholders, all with different interests. While it might take time to get the buy-in of these multiple stakeholders, it is always worth the effort. The trouble is leaders can sometimes by nature be impatient. They want results now.
Finally leaders are sometimes too inflexible and unwilling to adapt their approach. If you are so attached to your way being the only way, it can be tough to move beyond your current way of thinking.
The truth is to be successful when it comes to change you have to be patient, experiment, get buy-in and be flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances.
Goals and Achievements help organisations to consistently deliver great performance. Learn more here