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Transformation involves understanding and anticipating people's reaction to change. Responses vary widely base on individual perceptions of threats and benefits. Human nature tends to find comfort in the familiar and to resist change, a threat response based on people's fears. Fear of loss or power or a job. Fear of failure in learning new skills or processes. In situations where change satisfies a critical need or eliminates a burden change is welcomed.

Success is highly dependent on meticulous planning unrelenting communication that builds understanding of the need for change, the benefits change will bring, and directly confronts people's fears, real or perceived.

Unfortunately, not everyone can successfully adapt to change and plans must also be put in place to deal with these situations. Courageous conversations will be needed to address the concerns of people most heavily impacted and promptly identify and correct unforeseen issues stemming from the transformation itself.

Strong ,consistent, credible leadership is required to successfully implement durable change. John Kotter, professor of Leadership at the Harvard Business School, provides an excellent blueprint of the change process in his book Leading Change and describes an eight-stage process for transformation:

1. Establish a sense of urgency
2. Create a guiding coalition
3. Develop a vision & strategy
4. Communicate the change vision
5. Empower employees for broad-based action
6. Generate short term wins
7. Consolidate gains to produce more wins
8. Anchor new approaches in the culture

Other Links

• Global Program & Project Management
• Transformation Planning & Management
• Interim Management
• Vendor Management