Have you ever thought your project or projects could’ve been managed more effectively, or even abruptly ended a project thinking “There must be a better way”…. You’re not alone. This article will walk through some common themes and reasons transformations fail. It provides ideas and suggestions for how to problem solve and turn situations around.
According to change expert John Kotter’s research, “well over 50% of the companies I have watched fail in [the] first phase”. With change being the one guarantee in life and business, there can be significant consequences for organizations and leaders whose change initiatives fail to deliver.
Projects fail for various reasons here are some of the most common mistakes. (1) “Allowing too much complacency” (2012). Part of a leaders job is to adapt an organization and/or its processes to a significant set of changing circumstances. To do this well leaders must be able to see when the status quo is not longer serving the organization; and they must motivate and inspire change.
Another common reason change efforts fail is (2) “Failing to create a sufficiently powerful guiding coalition” (2012). Organizations and leaders will need to identify individuals and managers whose influence, experience, and / or skill sets will assist with motivating, managing, and leading the necessary change(s). One way I’ve seen this done well is by “charging” a certain group of leaders to assist with a change initiative and giving the leaders the opportunity to ‘accept’ this charge to what is essentially the guiding coalition. The guiding coalition is important, because it will also, if powerful and influential enough, assist with anchoring the new norms and new status quo into the organization’s culture ushering in a new standard of excellence.
A third common reason change efforts fail is because (3) leaders “underestimate the power of vision” (2012). For change to succeed, the vision for the future that hard work can make possible must be clear and compelling. As Chip and Dan Heath share in their 2010 book Switch, an effective vision will “describe a compelling destination.” This compelling destination will help overcome and correct the left-brained leaders’ weakness, getting lost in analysis, allowing them to focus their energy on another strength “figuring out how to get there” (2010). Which covers the clear part, but what about the compelling component of vision? The Heath brothers in Switch also describe how most of us incorrectly believe change happens via an “Analyze-Think-Change” process, and instead studies show change happens via a “Think-Feel-Change” process. “You’re presented with evidence that makes you feel something. It might be a disturbing look at the problem, or a hopeful glimpse of the solution, or a sobering reflection of your current habits, but regardless its something that hits you at the emotional level” (2010). Vision must be emotionally resonant. It must be something that leadership commits to, internalizes and over-communications. It must be something that members of that the guiding coalition also process, and take ownership of, in a way that is valid and acceptable to them - so that they can assist with positively influencing and over-communicating.
The fourth common reason change initiatives fail is (4) a failure to “generate short-term wins”. While the vision describes the future that hard work can make possible, short term wins are a necessary component of building trust and momentum that demonstrate that the future is not only achievable, but it is one that evidence clearly shows is “visible”, “unambiguous”, and “related to the change effort” and actively ushering in the new status quo. Visible in the sense that “large numbers of people can see for themselves whether the result is real or just hype”. Unambiguous in the sense that “there can be little argument over the call”. Last, its clearly related to the change effort, and a short-term win allows the ability to “test the vision”. These quick wins can undermine the efforts of cynics, retain necessary support, and generate the momentum - in terms of behaviors, skills, attitudes - to usher in the change and transformation vision.
Project failures might be the source of great water cooler gossip, but when you’re the executive whose change and transformation has failed, experienced false starts, or encountered resistance - change can become frustrating, anxiety provoking, and test and try your patience! For executive coaching on these topics, and/or assistance with change and transformation project-based initiatives visit cypcoachingconsulting.com and lets connect!
Resources
Heath, C., Heath, D. (2010). Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard. Broadway Books.
Pink, D. (2012, August 6). Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. YouTube. https://youtu.be/LFlvor6ZHdY
Kotter, J. (2022, September 19). Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/1995/05/leading-change-why-transformation-efforts-fail-2
Kotter, J. (2012). Leading Change. Harvard Business Review.