Take a long and broad view of change, and think about the impact of changes over one, three, and five years.
Deal with people involved in the change process with patience, gentle humor, grace, persistence, pragmatism, respect, understanding, and support.
Continue all of the behaviors and processes discussed in the articles below until change has the “opportunity to become anchored in the culture.” I am reminded of Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s emphasis on “constancy of purpose.”
Recognize that effective change is usually a realignment of the “world
view,” rather than a program or flavor of the month. Set up changes so that people in you organization experience some early wins. People involved in change will need to recognize that change is risky; change can be scary; change can often entail the real desire and need to slip back into the comfort zone. Effective change requires constant vigilance to resist slipping back into the old, comfortable ways of doing business.
Finally, as much as employees need to celebrate new beginnings, you will need to provide opportunities for employees to mourn the past, to let go of familiar ways of doing work. Even as change is, hopefully, a gain for your organization, it is also always a loss.
People lose coworkers, comfortable work processes, known ways of doing things, communication networks, security and stability, or confidence in their own capability. Recognize their loss, and you will assist people to move more quickly with you into the brave new world.
