Organizational Change & Building the internal communication plan to lead strategic change.
Learning Objectives
- To understand the connection between strategy, implementation and leading change.
- To connect dynamic models of strategy linking change leadership to transient advantage.
- To be forewarned on common obstacles preventing successful implementation of strategy.
Preparation
Originally published in 1996, Kotter’s 8-step change process has been a classic in management readings. However, successful organizational change to support new strategies remains elusive – and appealing strategies, once approved, often fail in implementation. In this context please read the following:
- “Leading Change: Why Transformational Efforts Fail.” HBR January 2007 https://hbr.org/2007/01/leading-change-why-transformation-efforts-fail
Library: http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=13&sid=3d1f7a5e-938b-4753-ae9a-964a083c4320%40sessionmgr4001&hid=4112 OR https://go.library.ubc.ca/TmT9g4
and a short primer: http://www.kotterinternational.com/the-8-step-process-for-leading-change/
2) “How have Kotter’s 8 steps for change changed?” Forbes, March 5th, 2015 http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkotter/2015/03/05/how-have-kotters-eight-steps-for-change-changed/#60bae35a3439
3) “The First 90 days: critical success factors for new leaders at all levels.” M Watkins, 2004, HBSP –> link to short summary of this book: http://www.papensouth.org/PDF/The_First_90_Days.pdf
Questions to prepare for class discussion and activities:
- Does a new strategy require organizational change to enable effective implementation? What is your rationale?
- Which change steps do you think are most challenging? Why?
- How does the article in Forbes connect Kotter’s model to transient advantage theory?
- In the context of the “first 90 days” which types of “early wins” do you consider to be most important and why? (Hint: diagnosing the business situation is your starting point.)