This is an extract from a survey we commissioned and published in September 2009, about managing change through the financial downturn. The findings and implications, even in slightly more stable financial conditions, are still relevant are year on.

'The survey was commissioned to help organisations understand the change challenges in the current environment and to point to possible change implementation actions they could take. It is a snapshot in time, taken when many people are experiencing one of the fiercest recessions in the last hundred years. It is very much a picture of the here and now.

So what implications can we draw, about implementing change?

Implication #1: people challenged two beliefs that are widely held about change. One is that it is unsuccessful. Two, that most of it is delivered by external consultants.  The big question is “have you built enough change capability for the tough times that are now here?”

Implication #2: people told us that building commitment is still a major issue for organisations.  “How can we learn to build commitment to change in our organisations?” It has never been needed more.

Implication #3: people said that the amount of change will increase over the next year from an unsustainable level of change now. It looks like organisations will need to ‘up their game’ in executing change to stand a chance of emerging from this recession in a competitive position.'

This extract is taken from our 'Change in a downturn - a snapshot survey'.