Most Change Programs Fail
Bain & Company reported that most change programs fail. Their research found only 12% of change initiatives they surveyed achieved what the change programs set out to do. And over one-third failed miserably. Data from our change management simulation supports their research.
What’s Going On?
Certainly any executive team planning major change needs to understand why change programs fail and consider carefully how to avoid the most common change pitfalls.
A Typical Scenario
In effect, the senior team tells frontline managers and employees what to do. That can work in a time of clear crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic or when all stakeholders affected by change already buy into the business case for change and the proposed plan to make it happen. Unfortunately, when it comes to organizational change, both situations are the exception, not the norm.
Here’s The Problem
The frontline needs to be involved in change from the beginning. Change that is imposed from the top down without cultural alignment and buy-in with those who are affected by the change is doomed to produce lackluster results. To really achieve successful change at work, organizations need everybody aboard – it needs to be an all-hands, all-hearts, and all-minds effort.
Six Key Ingredients to Successful Change
If tweaks are needed to the plan, they should be made as a whole team effort.
The Bottom Line
When change is needed to catch up or to outperform your competition, make sure you do it right. Done wrong, you waste time, money, productivity and risk employee disengagement.
To avoid being one of the companies where your change programs fail, download The Key Steps to Mobilize, Design and Transform Your Change Initiative
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