Improving Your Business Depends on Change Management

And introducing changes is always harder than you think. Here are a few things to think about in this journey:

- A picture of the end state.

It's always important to begin with the end in mind. I like to imagine 2-3 years out because it makes you think harder about the direction you're headed, even if you're not sure how to get there.

- An engaged leadership.

Nothing succeeds like entropy. If your entire management team is not aligned, most changes won't "stick" because you likely have quiet detractors you have not identified unless you have confronted them.

If the change is hard, and your CEO is not involved, stop this project immediately. It's not gonna work.

- Understand your current incentive structure.

I often find businesses are fighting themselves. If you expect an executive to spend half of their time on a new initiative but just raised their quota, they aren't going to spend even 3% of their time on that new initiative because you've already told them what was important.

- Understand your team's capabilities

Some groups learn slower, some learn faster. Fear sets in if people expect their jobs will be eliminated.

- Radical change probably needs a dedicated team.

A single leader with a single set of metrics, backed up by a dedicated team focused on those metrics. Hint: Those metrics should likely be based on learning initially.

- Radical change needs a "burning platform"

If you are in the middle of a lake and standing on a burning platform, you are likely to jump in the water and swim to shore. Here, shore represents your desired set of changes.

If you don't have a burning platform, some people will stay on the dock, others will dip their toe in the water. Your change agents will dive in, swim around, wonder why everyone else is on the dock, and then swim back to the dock to be with their friends.

- Bring in a project manager, even part-time.

A project manager can help you build a phased timeline for success, help you analyze risks, break down tasks, and keep things moving forward in the face of obstacles.