Here's how you can cultivate a culture of change within your organization.

This is so timely as I'm working on 'my story' for a speaking event and have been going through various options to craft the most compelling version. Why bother? The answer is, its vital that my story is engaging as otherwise the audience won't buy into my message which is that change can be good. Most stories follow a tried and tested formula. Getting traction for your vision will be so much easier if your change narrative reflects the key elements of storytelling which are: Plot: The sequence of events. Characters: The individuals involved. Setting: Where and when the story occurs. Conflict: The central struggle. Theme: The underlying message. Point of View: The perspective from which the story is told. and don't forget passion!

Consider using these 5 approaches in cultivating a culture of change: 1. Ensure top management actively endorses and participates in change initiatives, exhibiting a setting of a tone of commitment. 2. Integrate adaptability and innovation into the organization's core values and mission, emphasizing the importance of change. 3. Provide ongoing training and development opportunities to equip employees with the skills needed to navigate change effectively. 4. Maintain transparent and regular communication about change initiatives, encouraging feedback and addressing concerns to build trust. 5. Celebrate successes and acknowledge employees who contribute to change by reinforcing the positive impact of their efforts.

For change to stick, you must articulate a vision that’s both concrete enough and inspirational enough to move your entire team. This vision statement should explicitly state where the organization is going and why it needs change to arrive at that specific destination. When you do a steady job of keeping that vision at the forefront and weaving it into your organizational story, employees can see their place within a more fantastic picture. Based on my experience as a change management leader, a shared vision is a strong glue that eliminates resistance and creates a sense of the team working together where everyone belongs to one another.

Change vision is one of the most ignored part of the Change Journey. Engaging Change team ahead of implementation - this means change is part of your COE/EPMO/PMO can make this happen. Engaged leaders in shaping up the vision is what drives it. Stick to that vision. Begin your meetings with this. A message repeated few times will make sense to people/teams. This vision is the start and the end of the story. Now build a story. Context, characters, problem/situation, solution, winners and losers(don't use the same words), ending (what does the future looks like- ROI). 437consulting.com.au #437consulting #changemanagement #changeleadership

In change, it is worthwile to work from the perspective of value cases, instead of business cases. This ensures that the focus is less on the do's and dont's of the organisation itself, but on the outside world that has to be impacted. A common 'why' in the organisation keeps people stuck, in the sense that they look mainly inwards (can we do it, do we have the finances, is every department involved). A broader narrative forces people to look at the interests of the client, next generations or 'the world'. Now, you can start with the real why, instead of the question if it is doable.

Empowering voices and the summary in the blurb cover only a generic perspective. Truly empowering voices also needs intentional leadership, management, structure and policy interventions and support if it has to succeed. For example, creating a pathway in the org for change champions, change ambassadors and change agents, for volunteers, stretch roles and dedicated roles, operating mechanisms to continuously regroup and pulse the effectiveness of change capability, etc.

Start by leading by example and showing your openness to change. Communicate regularly and honestly about why change is necessary and how it benefits everyone. Involve your team by asking for their input and feedback, making them feel valued and heard. Create roles like change champions and ambassadors to drive initiatives and encourage participation. Provide ongoing training and resources to help employees adapt to new processes. Ensure intentional leadership, and ongoing interventions to support and sustain these changes for long-term success.

Change pioneers are invaluable because they are not afraid to "get their hands dirty," and to experiment. They think out loud about what "the new" should look like and take action to find new ways. They dare to take the first step, even if they haven't figured everything out. Through their efforts, search, and stories, they motivate others, and help shape the new direction. Effective leaders recognize and nurture these talents by providing them with the space, resources, and support they need to thrive. By expressing confidence in these employees' abilities and commitment, and by giving them the freedom to develop and implement initiatives, a leader not only strengthens their engagement but also encourages innovation and creativity.

Building Agility is easier said than done. To be truly agile, organizations need to be open to a philosophy and operational practice that they are usually adverse to, which includes: 1) Moderate to high tolerance for risk 2) A culture that promotes quick, short cycle experimentation 3) Appetite to absorb occasional failures 4) Fail Fast, Learn Fast If not, Agile will be another buzzword that induces fatigue just on hearing it, because no one in the org will have the trust, buy-in or confidence to embrace Agility for all its promise.

As an effective change leader, you need to remind your team to adopt not only PHYSICAL AGILITY but also MENTAL AGILITY. As the only constant is change, you & your team must have the ability to be NIMBLE & QUICK FOOTED. Respond with agility & rigour. Don't procrastinate to be resourceful. Assemble & disband teams speedily when tackling changes. Keep your enthusiasm level & teamwork high. An inclusive & psychologically safe climate in your team dynamics enhances camaraderie. In addition, THINK ON YOUR FEET & inculcate a GROWTH MINDSET. Always think positive even if faced with adversities & criticisms. You may think the glass is half full but it could also be half empty. It's your choice to look at all perspectives. THINK PROGRESSIVE.

Cultivating a culture of change within your organization can be effectively achieved by building agility, which involves fostering an environment that embraces flexibility, continuous learning, and quick adaptation to new circumstances. Encouraging open communication and collaboration allows employees to share innovative ideas and respond swiftly to market shifts. Investing in training and development programs ensures that your team is equipped with the latest skills and knowledge, while promoting a growth mindset helps them view change as an opportunity rather than a threat. By embedding these principles into the organizational fabric, you create a resilient and dynamic workplace that thrives amid constant change and uncertainty.

The ability to pivot and to be agile is crucial as change impacts your people and these skills will help you understand what you need to do to help your people adopt to the change . The right interventions is crucial in the world of change as you are dealing with the human side of this change

Finding what 'collaboration' means in each new organisation can sometimes be a project unto itself. It's important to collaborate in the way the organisation views it. Spend some time finding out what it means to your organisation, and what works. Then immerse yourself in collaborative behaviours as you move through your usual change paces.

Collaboration is the key to change success , when your teams are working together to understand the importance of sharing key information and supporting each other so that you can bring your people on the change journey , technical teams tend to be so immersed in processes and technical how’s and not understand the end user’s need that sometimes design solutions that don’t need the business needs .. so teams working together will ensure adoption and success.

Recognizing efforts has to go beyond celebrating successful efforts to also celebrating atempts that didn't work as you expected them to. Only this will build up the trust that the effort to change is appreciated, and build your organization's confidence to keep on trying. Most ideas fail. In his book Originals, Adam Grant shares evidence that one of the most important elements of an innovation (or change) culture is having a lot of ideas. You are not going to get people spending time thinking up and sharing ideas if only 1 in 50 is recognized, or they have the idea that being one of the 49 is not helping / detrimental to their career. I love cultures where people share ideas that failed, or went in a totally different direction.

Very important to create visibility of important project milestones and celebrate success. Any change journey can has it's lows and highs, hence important to always recognize key members for their efforts and keep engagement levels high. Negative sentiments make change acceptance a much longer process. First Time Right is critical, recognizing efforts keeps the morale high to get it right.

This is a critical behaviour, people give their best most of the time and really want to ensure success of change initiatives , recognising their efforts and contributions goes a long way to ensure commitment and loyalty to the program ..

Have change on the agenda at every touchpoint within the organization. Cascade it throughout the organization, right from CXO all hands and town halls to business group level conferences and meetings, all the way through to team meetings. The perception of "change adaptability" as a valued asset to the organization should be pervasive. Success stories and wins in change adoption highlighted and shared widely to reinforce the message and value will ensure the focus isn't lost.

Sustaining momentum in change management requires a strategic and ongoing approach. Regularly review progress to identify achievements and areas for improvement. Celebrate milestones to reinforce positive changes and motivate the team. Set new goals to keep the momentum going and focus on continuous improvement. Use transformational leadership to foster a culture of change by connecting with employees on a personal level, understanding their concerns, and involving them in the process. This builds trust and ensures that change becomes part of the organizational rhythm rather than a reaction to external pressures. Adapt communication styles to various personality types to ensure everyone is engaged and aligned with the vision.

One way to cultivate a culture of change is through consistent demonstration of personal leadership commitment to the benefits of change. This includes showcasing even small progress and 'recruiting' new team members to build momentum. While people understand that change is inevitable, they often don't know what it means for them. Leaders should illustrate the positive impact of change when it is heading in the right direction.

In the journey towards organizational change, celebrating success and learning from failure are equally important. Recognizing and rewarding individuals and teams for their contributions to change initiatives reinforces desired behaviors and motivates others to follow suit. Additionally, viewing failure as a learning opportunity rather than a setback encourages experimentation and risk-taking, driving innovation and growth.

Setting change agility and continuous, dynamic adaptability as a value within the organization, in whatever terminology or phrasing resonates, is very important. It could be as simple as "Agility" or "Challenge Status Quo" with an appropriate qualifying description that is complete in a message everyone can understand. It will ensure that the entire org sees adaptability to change as an important attribute for development and growth, and as an expectation for performance.

Change needs to be part of the organisation DNA as we need to continue to progress but it needs to be well planned and executed in order to ensure your people are brought on the journey and they are advocating and supporting the change ..

Yo agregaría: La cultura de cambio son acciones hechas hábitos, entonces yo empezaría con el comportamiento ideal en mente: ¿Cuáles son esas acciones que todos los niveles y áreas tienen que estar pensando, sintiendo y haciendo que refleje una cultura de cambio? A partir de ahí, definir las mejores formas de fomentar esa nueva cultura, que va a estar compuesta por mejoras en: Cómo aprendemos como organización, como formentamos el crecimiento de la organización y los equipos, como reconocemos el esfuerzo, como celebramos logros, como resolvemos problemas, como planificamos y como nos.comunicamos.