Hello Ann

What changes do you have planned for the rest of the year? As we wrap up the summer and transition into fall, you can see nature at work in practicing John Kotter's 4 Steps to Successful Change. The corn is mostly ready for harvest  - although the sweet corn seems late and sketchy in its availability. Some land didn't get planted because the snow kept melting and the rain kept coming. I think practicing is the key word - we don't always get it exactly right as we navigate change, and some of the bumps along the way can be helpful guides in steering our direction. 

4 Steps to Success

Consider the changes that have previously or are currently occurring in your organization. Perhaps your online system is being redesigned, a new product or procedure is being introduced, or your organizational structure is shifting. In order to ensure that you navigate change successfully there are many things that are useful to take into account before, during, and after the decision to enact change. John Kotter describes these stages as follows:

1.  Set the Stage: Create a sense of urgency in your organization through the sharing of information and pull together a guiding team to lead others through the change.

2.  Decide What to Do: Take the time to develop a change vision and strategy for making this vision a reality.

3.  Make it Happen: Communicate for understanding and the buy-in of the group. Be sure to empower others to act and don’t let up.

4.  Make it Stick: It is essential to build a new culture around the change.

Omitting any of these steps in the process of adjusting to organizational change can sabotage your efforts towards innovation. Notice how important it is to involve all of the members of your group during each stage of change—remember that keeping a group informed encourages a communal effort and produces stakeholders.

Are you interested in learning more about navigating change effectively? Visit Home-by-5’s Blog to learn more about applying the 4 Stages of Successful Change!

Questions to Consider

Check out John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber’s Change Scorecard: With Great Questions to Ask –here’s a sampling to consider:

●   Are there groups or individuals with the attitude and power to undermine change?

●   Do you have the right people and skill sets on your leadership team?

●   Is your message for the change vision simple enough to be understood and remembered?

●   Are there meetings and other routines that are irrelevant and can be eliminated to avoid exhausting yourself along the way?

●   Are you allowing urgency to sag?

●   What else could you do to keep up the momentum?

Social Style Tip of the Day:

You can use knowledge of Social STYLE to help team members get through the stages of change quickly and successfully.

  • Help the Driver Style see the benefits of the new strategy. If possible, involve these team members in making some of the change decisions.
  • Give Expressive Style individuals time to vent and then present how they will benefit from the change.
  • Amiable Style people will appreciate gradual implementation of change and will want to know where they can contribute.
  • Help Analytical Styles by sharing the rationale, reasoning and research behind the change. Help them identify where they can have input an influence on the outcome.

  Working In Teams With STYLE ©The TRACOM Corporation

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Join Me

The Fall Good Leadership Breakfast

Join me August 19th to learn from Lynn Casey, CEO of the employee-owned communications firm Padilla Speer Beardsley, who was honored this May for the Career Achievement Award by MSP Business Journal in their Woman in Business Publication. Attend to hear Lynn talk about how "planning" for her clients and colleagues at PSB is an absolute strength, and how she's less inclined to tackle planning for her home life. Paul Batz will engage Lynn in a dialogue about a powerful leadership planning tool called the Four Year Window — and participants will get their chance to work on their Four Year Window as Well.

Click Here to register to hear Lynn speak this month and learn more about the amazing program.

About Ann

With more than 20 years of experience as a corporate leader, Ann brings an integrated-systems perspective to any discussion or situation and a straightforward, practical approach to coaching and consulting. Ann's unique and varied career and educational experiences allow her to quickly identify and communicate interrelationships among issues, people, and complex organizational systems. Her positive outlook, energy, and participative leadership style enable her to inspire, motivate, and develop leadership in others.