Companies that want to successfully implement changes should not pursue short-term financial benefits at the expense of organizational health. They should ask five basic questions published on the website of Harvard Business Review by Scott Keller and Colin Price from McKinsey & Company.
1. Which direction do we want to take?
It sounds simple but this question should be answered in detail both in terms of financial performance and organizational health. This means setting change program goals under current market conditions, the capacity your company possesses and enthusiasm for the changes among staff.
2. Are we ready to start?
Leaders of failed change programs often move from expectations straight into action. However, it is not possible to act without clear knowledge of employee competencies and attitudes that will have to be developed for the change to succeed.
3. What practical steps should be taken?
It is eaqually important to define specific steps to be implemented as to define specific steps that must not be repeated.
4. How will we manage the whole process?
Implementation of change initiatives can have a range of forms from pilot programs to large projects. It is always necessary, however, to count with a large investment of energy which begins by explaining the benefits of changes to employees.
5. How do we ensure continuation of the change?
Leaders who reach the required performance targets thanks to a change should not consider the matter to be finished. Rather, it is necessary to prepare transition to a process of continuous improvement.
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