Let’s Talk About: Making Change Last
As change management experts we know that a successful change initiative doesn’t end when the rollout does. Join our conversation to learn 5 ways to ensure your change initiative will go the distance.
The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Daniela Peltekova (DP): Most clients look forward to the point in a change initiative where they can say: “That’s it! We did the rollout! We did the communication! Everybody should know the new behavior or process or roles or whatever. So we’re done.” But change is a process. It happens on a continuum and often doesn’t have an end point. For change to last, you must weave it into your organization. You must keep educating, communicating, and coaching.
Ron Kraft (RK): Exactly. Change is a cycle of continuous improvement and there really is no end point. In my experience, a key component to making change last is getting people to understand and engage with the “why.” (Anyone else a Simon Sinek fan out there?)
An effective why is more heart and soul than efficiency or profit. Using Bonavox as an example, what we do is change management. Our unique approach is focused on trying to get inside an organization’s DNA in order to develop effective and lasting solutions. But that's just “how” we do change management, it’s not our “why.” Our why is our mission: to make the business world better for people one change at a time.
Samantha Curley (SC): I think change lasts when an organization has a strong culture of participation, belonging, and buy-in. If your company culture is strong, and your people are connected to your “why,” they are more willing to not only go with change, but to advocate and embed change back into the culture.
Katherine Wallace (KW): One thing I'm thinking about is how there are different categories of change. There’s one that says ‘we want you to report suspicious emails,’ or ‘we want you enter the campus from a different entrance.’ These are habit-related changes. For a habit-related change to last you have to build what you might call herd immunity.
But then there's change related to, for example, diversity and inclusion, where if you take your foot off the gas, people start sliding backwards. This kind of change requires you to continually keep people acting and thinking with intent. You have to build consistent structures and keep people motivated with passion and the “why.”
“Our mission is to make the business world better for people one change at a time.”
DP: Making change last is about building an emotional connection. You have to make it matter for people, and that means educating them about why it matters, and also how to be part of a change. It’s always going to be a process because we’re not robots, so we won’t necessarily get it right the first time (or every time after that).
“But then there’s change related to, for example, diversity and inclusion, where if you take your foot off the gas people start sliding backwards.”
RK: A key differentiator for Bonavox is our belief that you can't just tell people what to do. You have to engage them in a dialogue so they feel part of the solution, not a victim of it. I think the single most important aspect of any change plan is the opportunity to ensure leaders engage in a two-way dialogue with the people who are going to be affected by a change.
This requires active investment from the leadership, but our job at Bonavox is not just about figuring out what leaders should say. It’s also about trying to understand what change is going to feel like when it's coming at people (not just how it sounds coming from leaders). That’s our 180˚ pivot and it’s one of the things that really makes Bonavox different.
In summary, how do you make change last?
Communicate the why
Build consistent, understandable structures
Embed change into habits so people don’t lose them
Ensure active investment from leadership
Consider the 180˚ pivot, or what change feels like coming at people (not just how it sounds coming from leadership)