Getting to a shared understanding of the real context for Change, is an essential part of building the right foundations for Change and Transformation success.
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At Changefirst we believe that the purpose for Change - with all the disruption it can bring - is best described in three connected parts. Like spokes of a wheel, held together by the all-important hub.
At the centre is Mission – why the organisation exists – and this is the hub.
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Spoke 1 is Imperative – why the organisation needs to Change and cannot stay where it is
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Spoke 2 is Vision – what the Change will achieve
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Spoke 3 is the Solution – how the change will be achieved
In this blog we look at the importance of the first of these spokes - the Imperative for Change.
The reality is that transformation itself may be the imperative. For example, the competitive advantages of the past may no longer provide the security an organisation needs in what is now a highly volatile and complex business environment – and this may constitute an unintentional mission drift. Often, we see this in organisations who have been in business for 20, 30 or even 40 years. Otherwise, mission success should be the gauge for every adjustment that happens in the organisation - including the imperative for Change and Transformation.
A strong Imperative should create dissatisfaction with the way things are
Why is this important ?
In our experience with clients, people are more likely to Change because they want to get away from something undesirable or threatening, rather than because they see a positive outcome at some point in the future. Psychologists tell us that humans have evolved to prefer certainty. Our survival has depended on our ability to control our environment. So, when we experience Change, our brains tend to perceive it as a potential threat to our survival - and any initial excitement can change to worry around loss which causes a fear reaction.
Yet, as the French Nobel Laureate André Gide said:
Why is the Imperative for Change and Transformation so important?
Put quite simply:
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A strong imperative can:
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In practice, we have seen examples of many organisations who have spent a lot of time outlining a detailed and beautiful Vision of the future for their organisation. But have simply failed to help people understand how their current ways of working are holding them back from that Vision.
We have seen examples where Local organisational challenges do not coincide with the challenges and dangers leaders are articulating as the reasons for Change at a broader organisational level. We have also seen examples where the transition from the current 'known' state to the largely 'unknown' future state – as set out in the Vision statement – is so difficult, that people default back to the old ways of behaving or working. Rather than committing to the Change that is required.
So, how do we get this process right?
The answer is to stay on Mission – and craft an Imperative for Change and Transformation that works.
Check out our practical 3 + 3 guide to this below.
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3 criteria for creating a successful Imperative for Change Here are 3 criteria to guide you in the process of creating your Imperative: 1. Focus on the problem The Imperative needs to describe the problem or opportunity (missed) standing in the way of success. The thing about problems and opportunities is that:
2. Make it personal It needs to feel as personal as possible. An injection of supporting data can help build credibility among According to Diana DiMeo, a Roosevelt University Masters graduate, our “brains do not easily recall data”, particularly when we are in the midst of a constant information-onslaught (as is often the case at planned marketing events). If, however, we are asked to recall the details of a headlining newspaper article we read recently - or if we are required to provide a synopsis of an action-packed movie we enjoyed - the details are much easier to access. 3. Conveying urgency is key The Imperative also needs to convey a sense of urgency with the use of cost- and time-related words. |
stakeholders, but it takes a story to create the shared understanding and emotional connection that inspires action.
An example of the type of urgency needed is evident in work we undertook with a retailer – as can be seen in the quote from one of their senior executives below:
In this example, the customer’s reason for - and urgency around - Change is anchored to both the health of the business and the security of employees’ jobs. In this case, they were able to create an imperative for Change that aligned Organisational needs and employee costs of not Changing – i.e. a shared understanding of that the Cost of the status quo is greater than the cost of Changing.
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Why creating Imperatives can be difficult for incumbent leaders
We find, for many incumbent executives, this is the most difficult part of creating powerful context for Organisational Change. Explaining both ‘why’ the organisation needs to Change and what the consequences are for people who don’t play their part in implementing the Change.
Insights from our own research on Change and our digital Change Management platform – which gathers data from over 40,000 practitioners and 1m+ Change datapoints - validates the gap that can exist between
Organisational and Personal imperative statements.
So, what’s the story behind the data? People may understand why leaders feel that the Organisation needs to Change, but they are less clear about what it actually means for them – why they must Change and the consequences of inaction for them at a specific point in time. time.
This points to the need to enrol local and line managers to help their teams - so that people begin to own the Imperative for Change.
Source: Data from the Changefirst Initiative Legacy Assessment (ILA)
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3 things to consider as you look to share your Imperative for Change How you communicate out has an impact on success too. Here are some additional learnings and considerations as you share your Imperative for Change: 1. A strong imperative needs strong leadership Success can make creating an Imperative more challenging. Where an organisation has had years of success, employees can find it extremely hard to buy in to any form of Imperative. Take the example of Nokia's incredible success in the early stages of the mobile phone market which made it difficult for the company to Change - as it became risk-averse and less innovative. Their failure to adapt to market changes as mobile phones morphed into smartphones is a cautionary tale And, as we pointed out above, creating Imperatives can also be difficult for incumbent leaders. Another example to illustrate this: In the course of our work with the internal communications function of a large global pharmaceutical company it became apparent that organisation’s executives - many of whom had been with the organisation for over 20 years - were struggling to talk about the need for Change and transformation in a way that would create a strong Imperative for people to want to do things differently. A leader’s ability to affect Change across their organisation depends on their ability to affect Change within themselves. This very often requires candour, humility and courage including:
2. Not every Change has or requires a ‘burning platform The reality is that not all changes have this type of current, imminent motivator for urgent action. However, of course, you should never waste a good crisis (often known as a “burning platform” – a term originated from an actual burning oil rig platform in the North Sea in 1988). But when it comes to business transformation, creating a powerful Imperative involves both addressing immediate threats and seizing current and anticipated opportunities. Too often we see Organisations focus their efforts on the ‘urgent’ problem in front of them that needs immediate attention - yet neglect the opportunity for important Change where there is current success - i.e. declaring an Organisational crisis which is not felt locally, doesn’t always create the urgency and impetus required for major Organisational Change. 3. Go easy on the imperative Before we wrap up it is also worth sounding a note of caution. The imperative can be overplayed. It is just one of the spokes in the wheel and a balance of messages – the why, what and how of change – is important too. Too much focus on the problems and missed opportunities in the current ways of working can create anxiety and fear that stops new action. Fear can be good for people, making them less complacent. However, during Organisational Change and transformation, if fear cannot be converted into speed of action it will become a significant liability as:
The reality is that major Change is not sustained by fear. It is:
that sustains Change. |
for businesses that want to avoid becoming complacent and losing their competitive edge. Which was a failure of leadership.
Using PCI® to create an effective Imperative for Change
Our own PCI® methodology has a role to play here.
PCI® stands for People-Centred Implementation. It is our comprehensive Change Management methodology that enables Change Leaders and Managers to deliver Change effectively by engaging people.
It consists of 6 proven critical success factors and the tools and techniques needed to create and deliver a
strong Imperative for Change sit in CSF1 – Shared Change Purpose alongside other elements that are key at this stage including:
- guidance on crafting a Vision for change, solution visibility and elevator speech
- Change Network mapping tool
- Change Impact Assessment tool
- Initiative Legacy Assessment tool
Need to learn more?
Download our eBook which provides an overview of PCI® or visit our website for more information.
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