Why developing a clear change vision is critical for success

Photo by Nicole Avagliano on Unsplash

When we start on any change it is very important to figure out where we’re going. Many people like to focus on change as a process, but I prefer to think of change as a destination.  Thinking of change as a process focuses on how you’re going to do the change, and what process “steps” you take. The truth is that this limits us in being able to react and respond to changing circumstances, or tailor and customize the approach to fit specific organizations and cultures. If you focus too much on process, you’ll inevitably miss out on what you’re doing and why. 

I like to think of change as a destination because it gives you the freedom to decide how you are going to get there. Importantly, it gives the people you are working with the freedom to design and build a way through change that works for them.

To fully grasp the change destination approach, you’ll need to get very clear on two main things. The vision for the change, and the reason why you’re changing. 

I like to work through these two key questions with sponsors and the change steering committee as part of the very initial planning process on any change initiative. It also gets us all on the same page about the goals and vision, and opens the team up to opportunities on exploring different solutions and approaches to achieve the change.

Establish a clear change vision

This step helps the sponsors and key stakeholder get very clear on what is changing.  Instead of talking about process, we focus on what the future state looks like. What is different between today, and the future. What does a day in the life look like for people once the change is complete? The more sensory information that can be included in the vision, the more powerful it becomes. This visioning step helps the team coalesce around one shared vision and create understanding and story that goes beyond just a technical or structural description.  This step also helps the team define what good looks like and help us create a measure for change success at various points throughout the change initiative.

Get clear on the “why” of change

This is the most important part of the change story, and importantly, how stakeholder will connect with the change. Understanding why we are changing, and creating a clear articulation of the rationale, the benefits of changing and the risks of not changing, create a clear and compelling storyline that all sponsors and senior team members can articulate in their own words. Being able to understand and show the impact on others is another way that stakeholders and those most impacted by the change start to build trust in the process, creating a springboard for shared experience and co-creation. 

Creating a clear and compelling change vision is the first step in building a successful change program that then informs each of the steps afterwards and creates the foundation for strong stakeholder engagement and change success. 

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