1. Leading Change
Karen Sledge

2. Objectives Background Transformation Through Change
Describe the 8 stages
Examine the actions needed for change
Give common mistakes that lead to failure
Connection to other readings

3. Background
Dr John Kotter authored works on leadership and change management – “Leading Change, Why Transformation Efforts Fail”
Change is a process
Sequential
Takes time (think years, not days)
No room for short cuts
Critical mistakes result in
Loss of momentum
Reversal of progress
Pervasive distrust
1996
2005
2002
2008
1982
2012
MANAGING YOUR BOSS
1993
1992
2010
1985

4. Stage 1: Establish a sense of urgency
What’s needed
Finding potential crises or untapped opportunities
Aggressive cooperation of many individuals
A good leader who sees the need for major change
Buy-in from 75% of company management convinced current practices are unacceptable
How it fails
Underestimating energy to move out of comfort zone
Overoptimistic in conveying the “urgent” message
Impatience

5. Stage 2: Form a Guiding Coalition
What’s needed
Completing previous stage
Shared commitment to excellent performance only possible through change
Leading by power, expertise, reputation and network
Functioning outside of normal hierarchy and expectations
How it fails
Eliminating components of previous stage
Underestimating difficulties in achieving change
Undervaluing importance of coalition membership

6. Stage 3: Define a vision What’s needed Complete previous stages
Guiding coalition strategizes to achieve vision
Succinctly communicating the vision
Individuals return understanding and interest
How it fails
Eliminated components of previous stages
Wrong vision = Incompatible projects
Unclear vision = No direction
Complicated vision = Confusion

7. Stage 4: Communicate the Vision
What’s needed
Completing previous stages
The Coalition incorporating the vision into daily activities
Using all modes of communication
How it fails
Eliminating components of previous stages
Under communicating the vision
Inconsistent behavior with the vision

8. Stage 5: Remove Obstacles
What’s needed
Completing previous stages
Convinced constituents that no external roadblocks exist
Encouraging constituents to take risk
Fostering nontraditional ideas, activities and actions
Functions outside of normal hierarchy and expectations
How it fails
Eliminating components of previous stages
Powerful naysayers who refuse to change
Demands inconsistent with the overall effort

9. Stage 6: Plan and Create Short-Term Wins
What’s needed
Completing previous stages
Engineering visible performance improvements
Recognizing constituents
Retaining the “urgency”
Clarifying the vision
How it fails
Eliminating components of previous stages
Stopping the process to soon
Expecting results to occur quickly
Leaving the short-term wins to chance

10. Stage 7: Wait to Declare Victory
What’s needed
Completing previous stages
Using early, small wins to address areas that undermine the vision
Integrating vision into hiring and promotion practices
How it fails
Eliminating components of previous stages
Relaxing change initiatives
Letting resistors reintroduce traditional ways

11. Stage 8: Anchor Changes into the Culture
What’s needed
Completing previous stages
Cultivating the next generation of vision leaders
New Behaviors + Performance = Company Success
How it fails
Eliminating components of previous stages
Shallow roots of new behavior
Status quo on promotion criteria

12. Connection to Other Readings
People need to see they’re integral to the solution (Aaron & Nelson)
Adaptive change requires individuals to alter their ways – without some distress there is no incentive to change (Heifetz & Linsky)
Change will create conflict – resist the urge to resolve it (Weiss & Hughes)
Change involves risks (Kouzes & Posner)
Change will never stop (Berson & Stieglitz)
Our Iceberg is Melting

13. Back-up slide
About the author
Created and co-founded Kotter International helping develop Global 5000 leaders
Written 18 books w/12 best sellers
HBR articles have sold more reprints
Youngest tenured professor at Harvard
2011 & 2013 Thinkers 50 recipient for change management ideas (Clayton Christensen honored as top ranked thinker in 2011)