5.2
LEADING MAJOR CHANGE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION
Inspired by John Kotter, David Ulrich, Jack Zenger, Norm Smallwood, and Karl Weick.Nothing demands that leaders truly lead like large-scale change within a department or organi-
zation. This tool provides an essential framework for leading major change. In his best-seller,
Leading Change,John Kotter defined an Eight-Stage Process of Creating Major Change, adapted
here.
Reprinted by permission of Harvard Business School Press. From Leading Changeby John P. Kotter. Boston MA. 1996, p. 21. Copyright 1996 by the
President and Fellows of Harvard College; all rights reserved.
142 SECTION 5 TOOLS FORLEADINGCHANGE
✔ Complacency, often crudely described as being “fat and happy,” is the enemy of change.
The hardest systems to change are those perceived to be working adequately: If it ain’t
broke, don’t fix it. (Would you want to fly with an airline with that motto?) Leaders need
to create a sense of urgency that drives the need for change. Two typical urgency issues are
competition and financial issues. Keep in mind that what resonates with senior manage-
ment may not with frontline workers.
✔ Change starts at the top, but needs to be widely led. Establish a cross-organizational team
to lead the change, along with a strong and committed leader. This team should contain
both commitment leaders (the heart side of change) and strategic leaders (the head side).
✔ People are inspired by vision. People don’t get excited about what they don’t understand.
Write a vision and strategy for change so that it passes the 5-minute test. If you cannot
clearly state the vision and strategy of the change in 5 minutes, you will lose people and
energy. Everyone needs to know What? Why? and How?
✔ Use every means you can to communicate why and what the change is about. The
standard advertising dictum is that it takes hearing a communication seven times before
people become clearly aware of what you are talking about. Also, a more subtle form of
communication must take place: All leaders must model the change they expect in others.
One “Aw, shit” wipes out one thousand “Way to go’s.” For example, if you are introducing
cost reduction and the change leaders are not scrupulously cost conscious themselves, cyni-
cism will reign.
✔ Look at the change systemically. Most change fails not because it wasn’t the right thing to
do, but because interacting systems impeded the change. Recognize that
current systems are set up to maintain the status quo. Encourage new ideas and risk-taking
within the strategic framework. Light many fires of change across the
organization.
✔ How do you eat an elephant? One bite at the time. When the change is large, set many
short-term mileposts, and celebrate their achievement. Recognize behavior and results that
are aligned with the change. Recognize people who dismantle barriers to the change.✔ Success builds more success. Results build from results. Use the credibility of small wins to
continue the push to the big win—the overall change. Measure and build a feeling of
progress toward the vision.
✔ What you want people to say about the new change is, “This is the way things are done
around here.” Connect the change with organizational success. Align all systems with the
change.- Establish a sense of
urgency.
result = a shared need - Create a guiding
coalition.
result = accountability - Develop a vision and
strategy.
result = anticipation - Communicate the
change vision and
strategy.
result = commitment - Clear the way for
broad-based action.
result = systemic alignment - Generate and
recognizing small
wins.
result = momentum - Consolidate the small
wins.
result = a culture of success - Anchor the new
approaches in the
culture and systems.
result = sustained change
Change success stage What to do ...