Whilst crises and other disruptions can cause difficulties and turmoil, "the best leaders defy the odds while others merely get by" (http://bit.ly/AspireMCL045 ). This is not to deny or downplay the significant suffering and problems caused by the pandemic, but the reality is that there will, as always, be winners and losers. Good leaders, whilst recognising the concerns of their stakeholders, will use the situation to spark deep change where it is needed.
The process starts with identifying the most important changes to pursue using the 'urgency v importance' matrix to produce a prioritised list of initiatives:
Having identified the key objective, Aspire recommends working through Kotter's '8-Step Change Process'. This is a practical guide that will help you avoid the most common causes of change failure and maximise positive outcomes. The 8 steps are:
Establish a sense of urgency (clearly explain why change is necessary).
Create a guiding coalition (powerful enough to get things done and persuade doubters).
Develop the vision and strategy (with the coalition and ensuring it is aligned to the organisation's mission).
Communicate the vision (repeatedly and in different formats).
Empower action (use change agents to make it happen).
Generate short-term wins (to show progress and boost motivation).
Consolidate and change more (do not let up but drive to continue the change).
Embed changes in the culture (do not assume you have 'arrived' when the change has been made: unless it is embedded in culture there is a real risk of reversion).
The critical success factor is good leadership. Just announcing a major change and trying to force it through rarely yields the desired outcomes. It is the ability to act decisively to inspire others to follow a well-reasoned and -articulated vision and to flex one's leadership style to service the needs of the task, teams, individuals and wider environment that leads to sustained success.
Aspire MCL builds leaders, teams and businesses that can do so. Get in touch today and let us help you unleash your potential.
Email: enquiries@aspiremcl.co.uk Tel:+44(0)20 3904 7501
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