CHANGE IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING AND CULTURE MANAGEMENT
ASSUMPTION: In implementing major disruptive change, management will: "Pay now or pay later". The payment "now" is the effort required to effectively plan. The payment "later", for not doing the planning, is to do massive repair work and rework after the change fails to work as hoped for. The penalty for failing to effectively implement announced major changes is twofold:
1. The change effort fails.
2. Senior management literally teaches people not to pay attention to them.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
Appoint senior management implementation teams for key strategies to:
1. Get clear on the desired end state what would success look like?
2. Decide on key success measures.
3. Assess the impact of the strategic change on the people affected by it.
4. Assess talent/capacity to develop of individuals versus required behaviors.
5. Set out clear roles/responsibilities for sponsors, agents and targets.
6. Decide what level of commitment is needed: acceptance or commitment?
7. Assess resistance (+ or -) and build a plan to work with it.
8. Align structures, processes and reward systems.
9. Identify anchors. What will be preserved? (e.g. values, basic mission)
10. Make and announce "symbolic" decisions and actions.
11. Create a detailed change implementation plan and implement it.
Ensure that these teams are professionally facilitated and receive "just in time" education in change management principles.
Measure progress against change implementation plan milestones and ensure accountability by including in their performance appraisals.
