Organizations succeed when leaders recognize the\u00a0need to change\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0are able to implement changes\u00a0effectively.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, knowing that change is needed \u2014 even picking the right changes \u2014 does not guarantee\u00a0success in making it happen.<\/p>\n Failing at change is all too common.\u00a0Change efforts\u00a0fail 50-70% of the time.<\/strong><\/p>\n This is unacceptable. We\u00a0need to get better at change \u2014 and get better quickly.\u00a0But how?<\/p>\n As Pasmore explains in the book Leading Continuous Change: Navigating Churn in the Real World<\/a><\/em>, inability to focus and prioritize is one reason strategies falter.<\/p>\n \u201cLeaders know they need to prioritize,\u201d says Pasmore. \u201cBut it’s not easy. In a recent CCL survey, 76% of senior leaders said prioritization is very important \u2014 but only 10% said they are very effective in doing it. That means 66% of us should be doing something really different.\u201d<\/p>\n Typically, our overwhelming need to respond to threats and opportunities forces us into immediate action, even if not well-conceived.<\/p>\n We try to do too much at once without a coherent plan.<\/strong> We don’t\u00a0think about how Change A affects Change B and how both<\/em> changes work against Change C.<\/p>\n We confuse activity with progress, and fail to recognize that all changes, even positive ones, come at a cumulative cost<\/a>.<\/p>\n Instead of all this busyness, we should get on top of things, decide what\u2019s really important, and do those things well.<\/p>\n Change is no longer a single event to map out and go through, in spite of all the popular models that lead us to think that way. In most organizations today, change is complex and continuous, ongoing and simultaneous.<\/p>\n To succeed at complex change, a rigorous approach is needed \u2014 probably a more rigorous approach than you are used to.<\/p>\n Most of the advice about leading change and the models we have are based on dealing with a single change effort or change initiative. A single change can\u2019t be teased out or isolated from everything else in the organization, or divorced from other changes taking place at the same time. We are\u00a0surrounded by churn.<\/strong><\/p>\n Consider the acquisition of one organization by\u00a0another. On the surface, it sounds like a single\u00a0change that must be managed.<\/p>\n In reality, many changes must take place for the acquisition to be integrated successfully. Key decisions about talent in each organization need to be made and the fallout from each decision managed. IT systems and other processes need to be aligned, necessitating changes in technology and retraining for employees. Boards need to be merged, customer relationships transitioned, space reconfigured, brands rationalized, cultures melded, strategies reconciled, and marketing campaigns redesigned.<\/p>\n At the\u00a0same time, competitors are responding with new\u00a0moves; new products or services are hitting the\u00a0market; consumer tastes are evolving; regulations\u00a0are being imposed; key people are retiring; lean\u00a0thinking is being implemented; and new strategies\u00a0are being formulated.<\/p>\n Since change is multifaceted, complex, and continuous, what might seem to be a single change is often anything but \u2014 it is a complex change that competes for time, attention, and resources with other changes that are already underway, and those changes yet to be conceived.<\/p>\n As a leader, you know this reality. Every day, you\u00a0face\u00a0complex,\u00a0continuous change<\/em>, which is defined as a series of overlapping, never-ending, planned, and unplanned changes that are interdependent, difficult to execute, and either can\u2019t \u2014 or shouldn\u2019t \u2014 be ignored.<\/b><\/p>\n You\u2019ll want to adopt specific tools, mindsets, and even structures that enable you to achieve repeatable success when leading complex, continuous changes. There is no simple solution to make these challenges go away \u2014 to succeed at complex change, you need to learn and practice some new skills.<\/p>\n \u00a0If nothing else, to succeed at complex change, you need to slow down<\/em>. <\/b>We recommend you follow this process, as outlined in our white paper<\/a>:<\/p>\n First, pause to discover<\/em><\/strong> what’s really going on before you leap to the next change opportunity and then the next. Do the pre-work that’s necessary to manage changes as a complex, interconnected series of processes.<\/p>\n While change is a necessity, not all change is a necessity right now. The process of discovering allows you to identify viable opportunities for change. Later, having identified those opportunities, decisions can be made about which ones to pursue. The goal is to identify the most important opportunities rather than create an exhaustive list. Discovering requires:<\/p>\n Pause to decide<\/em><\/strong> which of many opportunities are most important to do well. Make tough choices among attractive options. Your organization has a limit to how much change it can handle. Until you can build greater change capacity, you must try to avoid overloading the system with change. Trying to do everything is a recipe for failure. Deciding involves:<\/p>\n Pause to plan<\/em><\/strong> how you will go about change and who needs to be engaged for it to be done well and\u00a0quickly. Sure, push the envelope, but don\u2019t expect your approach to work as planned. Monitor progress, work through organizational and individual lack of readiness, and invest in the creation of greater change\u00a0capacity.<\/p>\n Then, do. <\/strong><\/em>With complex, continuous change:<\/p>\n Pause to discern<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0what you’ve learned and put in place stronger processes and structures to help\u00a0you do all of these things better in the future. Take time to see things in perspective, bringing people\u00a0together frequently to make certain they’re aligned.<\/p>\n In single-change efforts, learning is a low priority because the change may not be repeated. But with complex, continuous change, learning is a wise investment. To learn, we must discern what’s working as intended and what isn’t. Discerning involves:<\/p>\n All along the way, don\u2019t divert your attention until you have either accomplished your objectives or reset your goals to address more urgent needs.<\/p>\n \u201cStepping away from the buffet\u201d isn’t easy, but it’s certainly doable, Pasmore says.<\/p>\n The more rigorous thinking you do, the more you will be a successful change leader<\/a> who doesn’t miss half the change equation,<\/a> and the more you will improve the way that you approach complex, continuous change. And in the end, you\u2019ll be much more satisfied.<\/p>\nGet on Top of Complex, Continuous Change<\/h2>\n
How to Succeed at Complex Change<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n4 Steps for Success<\/h3>\n
1. Discover<\/h4>\n
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2. Decide<\/h4>\n
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3. Plan, Then Do<\/h4>\n
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4. Reflect & Discern<\/h4>\n
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Ready to Take the Next Step?<\/h2>\n