Change is difficult! We all understand that as human beings, and most definitely for all living creatures, change comes with great difficulty and by nature we don’t want to or cannot change. The great danger with a life without change is that we will stagnate and move towards extinction. But, we must still endeavour to inspire change.

We know that change is vital to make progress in life. Those who do not change will have to settle for the mediocre life they are living. Change your mind and you will be able to start changing your daily habits which will change your life. Step up and do something different or sit down and be resigned to the life of conformity.

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

– George Bernard Shaw

Mark Zuckerberg once said, “In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks,” and he was right. Leadership is not a static endeavour. Successful managers not only acknowledge the need for business development but are also willing and able to navigate their teams through change.

We must create a vision to guide the stakeholders towards the final goal. It must be understandable and compelling to enthuse the audience.

• Positive Approach – the end goal is articulated, clear and all are enthused by the vision;
• Personal Investment – the vision shows that the benefit will affect everyone directly (‘What’s in it for me?’ – which is a very human reaction to change);
• Make it Possible – a destination people can envision and believe will be reachable;
• Make it Visual – something people can see, visualise and envisage;
• Make it Vivid – bright and clear; the clearer and more understandable the picture of the roadmap to the future is, the more successful the involvement will be.

Every successful change intervention has something in common – a great change vision. They all begin with a picture of what the future will look like. With a clear roadmap to the future with all the relevant milestones and how to reach the final goal.

It has been said at various times and on various stages – Status quo requires no leadership.

The statement means that all leaders should be in the change business and be change agents and students of change. They should be in a position to create change, know how to cultivate change, to communicate and how to be the champion of change. If leaders do not understand the concept of change they will not be able to move the organisation to a new and better vision.

The success and continued improvement of most organisations depends on the commitment from management, leaders and all stakeholders and being in a position to accept and embrace the changes within the organisations, the markets, the global economies and especially within their working environments.

Organisational change has the potential to take on many forms, from a simple change in the business philosophy, system and process changes or a formal change in the organisation and management. These changes occur both in the minds of the stakeholders, especially the directly affected stakeholders, and within the philosophies of how management choose to do business, the go-to market and engage moving forward with the new initiatives.

The motivation of the stakeholders through an organisational change requires a great devotion to maintaining workforce morale and commitment. Managing change with stakeholders to ensure they stay motivated, committed and content through even a small change in operations can be difficult, unless Senior Management place value in the opinions and personal development of each stakeholder. The change engagement and change intervention approach are both crucial to the success of any change initiative across any and all industries and organisations, any size and any culture.

One of the best ways to achieve system, cultural or behavioural changes amongst the stakeholders is to inspire the stakeholders to embrace the change. Inspiring a stakeholder is essentially achieved by tapping into their passions and motivations at a deeper level. This can be done by using inspirational language, and sharing experiences and life-stories across the stakeholder community. The prospect of change can be very daunting and disconcerting. Managing the change correctly, having an achievable plan with communications and awareness should make the change process be more acceptable and not painful and disruptive. In today’s fast-paced global business environments, the difference between success and failure can lie in a company’s ability to adapt to new environments or market influences.

There is no real secret formula to inspire change within an organisation but there are some fundamental approaches that will help the organisation and the affected individuals to accept and embrace the changes within the organisation and the workplace.

The following are some of the interventions which an organisation can bring into play to allow the affected members of the organisation to embrace and accept the change. One of the most important aspects is to allow the affected stakeholders to see the change not as something that has been thrust upon them without any choice but rather as a benefit to the individual as well as the wider organisation, in other words it is a positive intervention which is embraced by all.

Organisational Interventions for Accepting and Embracing Change.

Have a vision and a business plan.

We know that most businesses require change in an almost constant cycle in order to survive and grow in a specific industry. Innovation and reaction to changing market demands, new technologies, and economic factors are of paramount importance to avoid failure or even collapse.

It is very important to ensure the company considers all relevant factors before embarking on a journey of transformation and to ensure there is a solid business plan and a final goal. Identify the areas of the business that need to be updated and put a plan in place for its execution. Beware of change fatigue within the organisation as part of the process. Change for the sake of change can be counterproductive and have a very negative effect on the organisation.

Understand and communicate the end goal.

As part of the business case and subsequent investigation, it is critical to understand the vision, end goal and objectives before the start of any new change initiative. The plan must be communicated to all relevant and affected users with awareness and intervention sessions.

Effective Communication Strategy.

Communication is the most important activity when it comes to any change initiative within an organisation. It is crucial to have all members of the team behind the leader from the initial kick-off meeting. The communications plan must ensure that everyone is fully abreast of developments and ensure that stakeholders understand the process, the progress and the end goal.

Ensuring that all the lines of communication are open and involving all affected stakeholders in the change process makes it more likely that the stakeholders will get on board and embrace the change. It is very important to give them the opportunity to share ideas, concerns, comments and suggestions throughout the period of change and this is achieved through awareness sessions, newsletters and change interventions.

Stakeholder Identification and On-boarding.

We, as human beings, react differently to a change or transformation in the workplace and the importance in identifying the stakeholders across the organisation and the identification of leaders and champions are critical in the process of change. One of the first duties of the change process is to identify change advocates that can inspire change, as well as potential saboteurs that won’t. Ensure all key players are on board from the beginning and take the time to walk them through the anticipated changes and processes.

These targeted team members are likely to be instrumental when new processes are put into practice and can encourage colleagues to participate and help sustain the morale of the rest of their departments. The concept of champions, advocates and ambassadors becomes extremely effective when implementing change in an organisation.

Delegation of Tasks and Inclusiveness.

The concept of leading from the front is important for all changes within an organisation. But an individual leader cannot implement change alone. Delegate tasks to individuals across the team and assign firm deadlines for completion. Be sure to follow up with each individual and provide support when necessary.

While going through this period of change, be on hand to answer questions, provide guidance and offer support. By giving people responsibilities, more will get accomplished as others are encouraged to take ownership of the prerequisites for change.

Ensure Realistic Objectives.

One of the most important tasks is to set realistic timelines and objectives. The change leader should not set himself (or herself) and the organisation up for failure. If the expectations are too high, not only will quality be compromised but also deadlines will not be met or compromised, the chances that morale will decline and people will become despondent and alienated increases. This will result in a despondent, unhappy and unengaged stakeholder community.

Manage Expectations across the Organisation.

The worth of any business or change leader can be measured simply by analysing his or her ability to manage expectations. When leading a department through change, managing expectations is more critical than ever. Clarify what is expected from stakeholders, and conversely figure out what they expect from the leader.

Make Stakeholders Accountable.

It is very important when setting goals, to also set the expectations that stakeholders are accountable for implementing the proposed change. It is imperative to equip the affected stakeholders with the required tools, talent, resources, responsibility and authority necessary to complete the change implementation successfully.

Own the Vision.

It is important to get immediate buy-in from stakeholders and one way to encourage the involvement and inspire change is to allow input by the stakeholders to create the vision. Rather than creating a vision of a desired future for people let them co-create it. This approach will work on all levels of change. A vision for any change is important to show the roadmap and the final goal.

Remove the Obstacles.

The change leader, through his/her actions, must be the person who will inspire change and help the affected stakeholders and employees see the vision is reachable, achievable and possible. The change leader’s role is to encourage and drive the change to conclusion and assist all affected stakeholders to see the future vision through successful change management and the change intervention process.

The Message – Bring it Home.

Ensure that the change conversation is constant, exciting and relevant at all times in order to inspire change. The message must be communicated throughout the journey and until we have reached the final goal and completed the vision. This must be a continuous process to keep the stakeholders engaged, thinking and talking about not just the change but the vision and the final goal as per the business case. The cycle is now complete!