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Any change initiative, whether one with a specific focus or comprehensive organizational change, will reach a point when it stalls - a leader's will starts to sag and the minions, employees, start to tune out. Mastering how to make mid-course adjustments will give new life and momentum to these change initiatives. This author describes how managers can make those key midcourse adjustments.
When a change initiative goes awry
Change is difficult business. Take the case of one manufacturing company that my consulting firm, Healthy Companies International, recently worked with. The company has been around for over 100 years and is one of the largest federal government contractors in the United States. Five years ago, the company tried to implement a new enterprise-wide IT system. At the same time, it developed a new planning system to streamline work processes between its sourcing, operations and manufacturing functions. Both change initiatives were deemed critical to the future success of the company's 18,000 employees - and to the firm's customers. Did either initiative succeed? No. In fact, these initiatives have come to symbolize what not to do in planning and executing change because they nearly strangled the company's ability to introduce much-needed change in its operations.
In focus groups and one-on-one discussions with over 80 directors and middle managers from across the company, we heard a litany of complaints about these poorly executed change efforts. Surprisingly, none had to do with the traditional reasons change fails in organizations - like the lack of a burning platform, unclear communications, half-hearted executive support or insufficient resources. In each case, the initiative was endorsed by the executive team, there was a convincing case for change, and people worked hard to think through the implementation. People across the company supported the changes and seemed eager for a quick and successful rollout.
What happened? About two or three months into each initiative, paralysis set in. Few people signed up for the IT training, and end users began to complain that they couldn't get the data they needed from the system. One division began keeping track of one set of metrics, while other divisions continued to rely on their own, distinct metrics. Customer pressures increased, and people felt that they couldn't afford to...