3 Strategies for a Successful Change Initiative

Most leaders have never been trained in change management.

Yet you’re expected to roll out change initiatives multiple times a year, as if it’s no big deal.

The uncomfortable truth is that 70% of those initiatives fail.

That’s not a typo. Seven out of ten!

So if your last change rollout felt like pushing a boulder uphill, you’re not imagining things. It is really that hard.

Last week, I was coaching Julia, a change management expert. She has formal change management training and successfully manages large-scale initiatives in her organization each year.

I asked her what leaders without formal training should focus on.

She gave me three strategies that actually work.

Always Be Communicating

Too many change initiatives start and end with a single email from someone senior.

“Here’s the new process. Please implement immediately.”

And then… nothing happens.

Nowadays, with our virtual-first work environments, people need to hear a message about 10 times before they’ll act on it with confidence.

Julia uses what she calls a “high-touch approach.” She communicates the same change in different ways, through different channels, over time.

One email isn’t communication. It’s just information.

Get Your Key Stakeholders On Board First

Julia reports to the CEO. Before she rolls out any change, she makes sure the CEO is on board.

Then she presents it to her peers on the executive team.

If they don’t buy in? She knows it’s going to fail.

So she’s learned how to answer the WIIFM question for each of them: What’s In It For Me?

When they understand how the change benefits their team, they become advocates instead of obstacles.

Ask for Input Early and Often

Your change initiative won’t survive if the rest of the organization feels blindsided.

Julia solicits input from colleagues across the organization early in the process.

This does two things: it strengthens their commitment to the change, and it helps her understand what they actually need to make it work.

People support what they help create.

How You Can Successfully Implement Change

You don’t need to be a change management expert to apply these strategies.

Think about your current change initiative.

• How many different ways have you communicated it? Plan 10 touchpoints.
• Who needs to buy in for this to work? Make sure they understand what’s in it for them.
• Who should you be asking for input? Get them involved now, not later.

If you commit to these strategies and follow these steps, you can be a part of the successful 30 percent!

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