Change management

Change management is the transfer of employees, team and organizations from the current state to the desired, desired state. The most well-known approach to change management is the John Cotter method, both in the West and in Russia. It is based on the involvement of employees in the transformation of the company through the popularization of its picture of the future and focuses on the introduction of conditions that shape new behavior in people.

Having watched for many years the successful and unsuccessful attempts of organizations to increase their competitive advantages with the help of changes, J. Cotter realized that the path of change goes through several successive stages, and violation of this order only leads to the illusion of faster changes, but inexorably moves the company away from the cherished goal. Based on this knowledge, Cotter identified eight main steps in his methodology.

1) The first step is to create an atmosphere of urgency, having previously studied the market situation and the company’s competitive positions, having discovered and analyzed crises and favorable opportunities.
2) Then you need to form teams of reformers from people who have influence on other employees and are not afraid to make unpopular decisions. Be sure to encourage their activities.
3) After the right environment and a team of innovators have been created, it’s time to create an image of the desired future for the company and develop a plan to achieve it. This will encourage employees to work more actively for a better future of the organization and themselves.
4) Promote a new vision by all available means — using clear and clear speech, metaphors, analogies, rely on the examples of the reform team.
5) Create conditions for the realization of a new vision. Get rid of obstacles hindering innovations, change the structures and responsibilities of people who contradict the new vision, take employees out of the comfort zone. Encourage activity, creativity and people’s willingness to take risks in solving non-standard tasks.
6) Plan carefully and achieve immediate results. Take a sincere interest in what is happening and reward the first successes.
7) Record achievements and expand innovations. Build an atmosphere of trust in new approaches. Do not be afraid to change the staff and carry out the necessary permutations.
8) Consolidate new approaches. Formalize the rules of behavior, create a clear relationship between results and rewards for everyone. Create an environment favorable for the further development of employees.