DEVELOPING CHANGE READINESS, ORGANISATIONALLY & PERSONALLY

Here are some excellent suggestions from the experts, based on notes from my scratchpad:

- Build in some quality time to think about the future and possible change that could occur;


- Generate a range of possible scenarios and write down what might need to change now to avoid a problem or capitalize on an opportunity;

- When significant events or situations occur, try to anticipate what could happen;

- Plan how you might respond positively to new or unusual experiences;

- Look to network with a wide range of people to actively keep up-to-date and ahead of the game;

- Think about every reasonably significant change as a project (like moving a house or launching a new advertising campaign);

- Develop a written plan to include contingencies, milestones, and measures for each of your more significant projects;

- Think about how you will organize yourself, other people, and resources to cope day-to-day and week-by-week;

- Carefully assess the risks that you foresee before each significant change event or project takes place;

- Spend quality time looking ahead so you are prepared for change, or as unsurprised as possible when it occurs;

- Look to build relationships with people who are open and generous with their time;

- Ask people about their ideas and suggestions about how to tackle changes;

- Start to offer a few ideas and thoughts of your own (where you have experienced success);

- Solicit input from as many types of people as you can (especially the more reserved ones), to gain a better appreciation of reactions to change;

- Seek to regularize this informal exchange process as part of your daily schedule;

- Act enthusiastic about the future, and highlight the opportunities to do things in new, better, and more interesting ways;

- Sketch or draw your vision of the future on regular occasions, or find time to close your eyes and think about what tomorrow could be like;

- Having done this, work backwards to list all the things that would have to be initiated now or in the short-term to help this vision become a possible reality;

- Develop a list of future steps, in sequence, that would need to be taken to achieve your ultimate goals;

- Use analogies and metaphors to describe what you think the future could look like to capture peoples imagination in different and interesting ways;

- Practice writing or presenting what is important for people to understand about a future change on one piece of paper before reading it aloud (to the mirror, your family, or even a pet if you have no one else to listen);

- Think about the different audiences that will receive your message, and how it might need to be adapted to make it entirely clear to everyone;

- Carefully monitor rumors or gossip, so as to feed the right information to people whenever necessary;

- Translate any information that may be complex or confusing, so that every individual can readily understand it;

- Look to draw early comparisons of past and future approaches or practices, once you have evidence that the new way is better or clearer;

- Develop different ways to describe the non-benefits of the old and the value of the new ways;

- Firmly but fairly lead people to talk about new changes, rather than to ignore them or criticize them gratuitously;

- If possible, find a visible way to be a role model for others to accept new change willingly;

- When planning any change transition, design and develop progressive opportunities for people to gently take on new practices or behaviors;

- Make sure that people do not feel coerced or "jettisoned" too quickly, to the point where they become uncomfortable and fail to standardize and learn to cope by themselves;

- Create opportunities for people to pilot, practice, test, or experience a change in a limited way to help them come to terms with it on a wider scale in the future;

- Evangelize to people about the benefits of continual learning and broadening the mind;

[Source: 'Change Management Effectiveness Profile']