Here’s a list of 8 common mistakes organisations make that cause their change initiatives to fail:

1. 1 – Lack of a sense of urgency.

Without a clear sense of urgency or a real reason ‘why’ change should happen, organisations can fail to generate the momentum they need to see change through.

1. 2 – Failing to create a sufficiently powerful and guiding team.

Whilst, many of the top managers may ‘get’ the need for change, if all employees don’t ‘get’ the need then change initiatives can be doomed to fail before they have even started

1. 3 – Underestimating the power of vision.

A sensible vision helps direct, align, and inspire actions on the part of large numbers of people.  No vision leads to lots of debate.

1. 4 – Under communicating the vision by a factor of 10 or 100.

Lots of communication is necessary to capture employee hearts and minds.

1. 5 – Permitting obstacles to block or derail the new vision.

Obstacles or difficulties associated with change are a fact but they need to be confronted and overcome so that you can succeed. There are so many skeletons of change initiatives at the side of the road to change because they were stopped in their tracks by obstacles. If the need is great enough you and your team have to find a way to overcome them.

1. 6 – Failing to create short term wins

Change is hard. So, to keep up the momentum focus on generating some early wins in the process. This will have a positive effect on motivation and momentum.

1. 7 – Declaring victory too soon.

This is a bit like changing or giving up a bad habit. If you relax too soon it’s really easy to sink back into your old ways. Real change takes time so give it time to sink in and permeate your organisations culture. Don’t underestimate how long this could take.

1. 8 – Neglecting to anchor changes firmly into the corporate culture.

In order for change to be effective, it needs to become “the way we do things around here”, supported by policies, procedures, behaviours, routines etc.

Efforts to effect change that are over-managed and under-led also tend to try to eliminate the inherent messiness of transformations.  Eight stages are often reduced to three.  Seven projects are reduced to two.  Instead of involving hundreds or thousands of people, the initiative is handled by a small group. Real lasting change should never be under-estimated or under-resourced.

What do you think? Have I missed any?

Thanks to jon|k for the photo