History shows how change initiatives ‘wither on the vine’ without continuing management attention and support. After a change has been transferred into day-to-day operations, and management focus turns to new initiatives, drifting back to old ways of working may occur. To ensure that the change sticks, we must identify how the business will monitor and manage the new ways of working, support new behaviours and reinforce commitment to the change.
Things to consider
- Is the organisational value of the change clear? Have the benefits, costs and risks been fully reviewed and validated by all who will contribute?
- Have the implications of operating the change been made explicit to those expected to own the change within business-as-usual?
- Identify challenges, threats and risks that may prevent realisation of the benefits in day-to-day operations and set out a strategy to address them.
- Ensure that changes to roles, accountabilities, reporting and performance management are understood and agreed at all levels within the business.
- Make sure that the required on-going support for the change products is in place.