Think Leadership Ideas

1237 Change Fail




Yesterday I heard a story that is repeated endlessly in organizations, although there’s a genuine effort from leadership to implement needed changes, nothing happens.

Change efforts often suffer from what preeminent executive coach Marshall Goldsmith calls the 1, 2, 3, 7 problem - implementing change is a 7 step process, but leaders often leave out steps 4, 5, and 6.

Seven Steps for Change
  • Assess Situation
  • Identify Solutions
  • Plan Action
  • Seek Buy-in Up
  • Seek Buy-in Across
  • Seek Buy-in Down
  • Implement Changes

The notion of wooing up, across, and down makes sense from within hierarchical organizations. However many leaders seek changes in organizations that aren’t so clearly stratified. Think bout any kind of community change, consider how our President, or any leader, seeks to implement a change in our nation or the world for that matter. Steps 4, 5, and 6 could easily read:
  • Seek Buy-in from Key Opinion Leaders
  • Seek Buy-in from Constituent Groups
  • Seek Buy-in from People Most Impacted

Remember these steps apply to personal change as well as organizational change. Whenever you are trying to change any habit - e.g. stop smoking, increase patience, speak confidently - the people around you can easily impede the change unless you include them in the process.

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