Urgency During Organizational Change: How to Raise the Level

Do You Know How to Raise the Level of Urgency During Organizational Change?
The level of urgency you create during organizational change directly impacts success — but only if it is grounded in reality. Urgency that is exaggerated, fear-driven, political, or fueled by anger or anxiety will backfire. True urgency arises from meaningful market realities, risks, and opportunities at the individual, team, and organizational levels.

Why Change Fails
Many change initiatives falter before they even begin. According to change management consulting research, One of the most common reasons: insufficient urgency. Without a compelling reason to act, employees default to the status quo, and initiatives stall. Workplace complacency, often underestimated, is one of the most lethal inhibitors of change.

What Change Urgency Really Means
Organizational change urgency exists when everyone involved consistently prioritizes activities that support the change over other tasks. People actively scan for risks and opportunities created by the change and adjust their behavior accordingly. When urgency is absent, you have workplace complacency — the organization drifts, and transformation becomes nearly impossible.

Why Urgency During Organizational Change Matters
For change to succeed, the organization must see the status quo as riskier than the change itself. Leaders must communicate with clarity and gravity, showing—not exaggerating—the consequences of inaction. These might include:

• Loss of market share
• Decreased revenue
• Changes in leadership
• New or increased competition
• Disengaged employees or unhappy customers
• Layoffs

Until senior leadership and employees understand what is at stake and why change is critical, transformation initiatives typically languish. Effective change requires energy, courage, and strong change leadership from the outset.

Four Ways to Raise Urgency During Organizational Change
Just as leaders learn during our change management simulation, it is critical to raise the change urgency quotient so you get everybody onboard at the outset by:

1. Gathering Client-Centric Feedback
   Start with current, potential, and target customers, partners, and front-line employees. Use this insight to illustrate the real consequences of not changing and the benefits of adopting the new path. Some organizations have successfully used client-centric video interviews with clients to communicate urgency in a compelling, unfiltered way.
2. Being Honest and Transparent
   Avoid sugarcoating or hiding bad news. Share data and customer insights that highlight the need for change. Treat employees like adults: showing evidence of challenges — such as client feedback videos — is far more effective than simply telling them change is necessary
3. Behaving with Urgency
   Leaders must act with a sense of urgency that matches the magnitude of the challenge. If leadership does not embody urgency, employees will not either. Change plans must be realistic and proportionate to the risks and opportunities at hand.
4. Creating Accountability
   Hold people responsible for adopting new behaviors. Establish meaningful recognition for those who embrace change and consequences for change resistance. People respond to their environment — shaping cultural expectations is as important as formal change plans.

The Bottom Line
The level of urgency you cultivate during organizational change is directly correlated with success. Use client-centric feedback, speak the truth, behave with urgency, and enforce accountability to create a sustainable, high-impact change environment.

To learn more about how to handle urgency during organizational change, download the 5 Research-Backed Lenses of Change that Must Be Balanced