In our fast-paced and ever-changing world of corporate business, there are some (repeatedly) proven steps that we know today as a must during a transformation if you want to continue planning a course toward success!
Every organization that has failed to follow these four steps has never fully reached its initial intended objective, whether financial or organizational, so, I’m sharing them once more in hopes that more companies will make good use of these recommendations at the very start of their transformations, be it technical, organizational, or structural.
Step 1.
First off, you absolutely need to establish a clear and compelling vision.
Your vision should align with your company’s objectives. Without a well-defined vision, your efforts will be aimless, your message diluted, and you risk losing engagement along the way, or worst, never getting it in the first place.
Step 2.
Then it’s crucial to define and communicate the reasons, the “WHY”.
Why are you doing this? And why now? Understanding the purpose will enable everybody to focus on the right efforts and ensure everyone’s actions are aligned with the same objectives.
Step 3.
You’ll need to build a coalition.
Include dedicated and passionate individuals who share your vision and are committed to contributing their expertise to achieve the same goal. Collaborative efforts are necessary to achieve significant accomplishments. If not, you might have some success, but it won’t last, and it surely won’t make you reach your goal.
Step 4.
Finally, you must act with a sense of urgency.
Without that, you won’t get the needed visibility and traction, they’ll be other priorities, people will be too busy, there won’t be enough budget, and so on. Make it important (if it really is) and make it important now!
These four simple, yet critical steps must UNDENIABLY be followed through to ensure your success.
John P. Kotter has had this right since 1995 and it still stands today!
