How to Lead Change, Overcome Resistance, and Improve Employee Performance
What is Your Change Destination?
Do you have to implement change in your organization?
Then you probably know that leading a change effort is a difficult process! How do you lead change, overcome the resistance of employees and other stakeholders, and improve employee and organizational performance at the same time?
Change guru, John Kotter, once said the following about the difficulty of organizational change:
Needed change can still stall because of inwardly focused cultures, paralyzing bureaucracy, parochial politics, a low level of trust, lack of teamwork, arrogant attitudes, a lack of leadership in middle management, and the general human fear of the unknown. . . . In too many situations, the improvements have been disappointing and the carnage has been appalling, with wasted resources and burned-out, scared, or frustrated employees.
John and other gurus like Kurt Lewin were right! Organizational change is not easy. Fortunately, it is not an impossible task either. With thoughtful leadership and implementation, business professionals can tame the change beast.
Introducing: The Free Online Leading Change Effectively Article Series
All of the content in this free 15 article series blends real-world business practices with proven research on management and leadership. In this series of articles, I will explain the psychology of change, the process for leading change, and strategies for reinforcing positive change. Let’s get started!
The Psychology of Change:
8 Reasons Why People Resist Change
Four Truths Leaders Should Know About Organizational Change
Five Strategies for Managing the Fear of Change
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Leading Change (the process):
Unfreeze, Change, Refreeze: Is This a Child’s Game
Step 1: Create a Sense of Urgency
Step 2: Create the Guiding Coalition
Step 3: Develop a Change Vision and Strategy
Step 4: Communicate the Vision
Step 5: Empower Broad Based Action
Step 6: Generate Short Term Wins
Step 7: Consolidate Gains and Implement More Change
Reinforcing Change:
Step 8: Anchoring Change in the Culture
Three Change Management Lessons From the Dodo Bird
In 100 Words: What the Best Leaders Do!
In 100 Words: Communicate Everything You Can
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Regards,
Robert
Robert Tanner is the founder of the Management is a Journey Blog and Principal Consultant at Business Consulting Solutions LLC. He is a certified change management consultant, management mentor, trainer, and an Adjunct Professor of Management. Robert has a passion for helping managers and leaders fulfill their potential. Connect with Robert on Google+ and Twitter. To join the mailing list, subscribe here.
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