This is Part 3 of a 4 part article on how to effectively lead organizational change. Please read Part I and Part II of this article. Part 4 will focus on best practices to evaluate and maintain the change over time.
By following a simple process, we can more effectively and successfully launch organizational change initiatives.
Reinforcing the Change
During this phase, it is essential to gather, evaluate and address feedback you receive on the change initiative. This may be done through small group meetings, online survey or through one-on-one conversations with those impacted by the change.
During this phase we also want to continue to engage our stakeholders through celebrating early success and regularly “checking in” with stakeholders to ensure they are still feeling good and are engaged about the change.
We may be making adjustments to the change initiative as we roll it out based on feedback received and evaluating what works well and what does not.
When we transfer the change to those who will own it or maintain it moving forward, it is essential that we have trained them. It is also important to check in with them regularly to evaluate the change and ensure that it is successful for them. Don’t simply transfer the change to operations/maintenance and walk away assuming your work is done. You must regularly check in to reinforce the change and ensure it is successful over the long term.
In Part 4, we will discuss how to evaluate and maintain the change.
