In our last post, we highlighted the importance of recognizing the significance and impact of change efforts and preparing our teams for change. This post is about how to sustain changes to make lasting improvements.
It is springtime, which means the lessons I have learned from nature, many of which I learned the hard way and therefore feel compelled to generalize and share, are top of mind. Gardening and change management have a lot in common. Whether or not your change takes root and survives depends on how well you 1) prepared the soil, 2) watered the seeds, and 3) protected the sprouts.
Prepare the Soil
Preparing the soil does not feel rewarding. It is an up-front investment that often shows no visible results, so there’s little proof that this is a value-adding step. That is, until you skip it and then wonder why nothing grew. Removing rocks, adding nutrients, and loosening packed soil are all necessary to create the conditions in which something new can grow. The equivalent in change management is creating a sense of urgency and building buy-in. You are preparing your team and your organization to receive and welcome change and creating the conditions in which change can take root.
Water the Seeds
If you have ever tried to grow new grass from seed, you know that you cannot just water it on day one and walk away. You have to ensure that those seeds never dry out even for a second during the first ten days. Similarly, change efforts require constant attention and nurturing to support strong roots.
Celebrate interim and incremental successes. Incentivize and reward small steps. Look for and highlight early signs that the change is having the desired effect and producing benefits.
Continually connect the change to a larger vision and to the unique benefits each stakeholder groups stands to experience.
Protect the Sprouts
When the new life sprouts, you put up barriers to keep people from trampling it. You put cages and stakes nearby for them to grow up and around. You keep an eye on the dog to ensure she doesn’t dig it up (real talk). Be sure to provide necessary structure and supports for your change and to remove any barriers that could prevent your team from fully adopting and continually maintaining the change.
- Provide the necessary training, tools, and time.
- Document the change with process maps, policies, and procedures.
- Assure the necessary access, authority, and autonomy your team needs to succeed.
- Incentivize and reward early adoption.
- Spot and tackle stumbling blocks before they become barriers.
The Bottom Line
Anything worth doing is worth doing well. Plowing ahead with your change effort (See what I did there? Pretty punny!) without taking the time and care to properly prepare your team and organization or to nurture the change will only waste time and energy and create chaos with no pay-off. Change is a process, not an event. Don’t skip steps.