Building a Change-Ready Organization: Part 1 - The Importance of a Clear Strategy
Amy Yackowski
🗺️ Map a P.A.T.H. to Change-Ready Success & Adoption That Sticks | 🧭 Change Navigator & Advisor | 🎙️ Keynote Speaker | ⛏️ Operational Archeologist | 🔎 Organizational Anthropologist
The Stoic, Seneca, once famously said, “If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable.”
Before embarking on any new change initiative (whether a small “tweak” or a big shift), it’s vital to have a clear and well-defined strategy.
When intentionally identified and operationally aligned, your strategy will serve as your guiding light, your North Star, your map, and your GPS. Without it, you’re traveling in the dark…and can very easily find yourself off-course and sometimes totally lost.
Ever been on your own change journey and encountered something similar?
Or, want to ensure that when you do finally pull the trigger on that new “vehicle” of progress in your business (e.g., a new technology, a new operational process or realignment, a merger, etc.), you don’t end up in a completely different location, having run out of fuel, or finding yourself stuck and unable to move?
Then design your P.A.T.H. to greater change success, starting with Preparation and defining a clear destination = your strategy.
Strategy? Tactics? Stractics?
If you start working on a new change initiative without proper preparation, you’re most likely setting up your organization and team for delays, distractions, disruptions, and a lot of unnecessary debt (budget, resources, time, emotional labor).
An upfront, intentional, and contextually relevant strategic planning effort can save you significant headaches down the road.
...But, before I go any further, let’s clarify what strategy IS and what it ISN’T, and what I mean by “planning”.
In Lewis Carroll’s book, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, Alice has a rather curious conversation with the Cheshire Cat:
‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’ [asked Alice.]
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the [Chesire] Cat.
‘I don’t much care where—’ said Alice.
‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat.
‘—so long as I get somewhere,’ Alice added as an explanation.
‘Oh, you’re sure to do that,’ said the Cat, ‘if you only walk long enough.’
The above is sometimes “reimagined” into the following sentiment:
“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”
When approaching change initiatives, the “where are we going” plan and communication often look and sound something like “getting on this new system.”
That is not a strategy; it is a tactic, an action, an outcome, a “somewhere.”
Yet, what your organization and team really need is a clear understanding of where you’re trying to go…and WHY. Without it, the P.A.T.H. to success will inevitably include scope creep, catastrophizing, resistance, traffic jams, constant re-routing, and very frustrated drivers and passengers (your project team, your change ambassadors, your stakeholders, and your implementation and solution partners).
Now, a Strategic Plan is NOT a:
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A Strategic Plan, instead, focuses on the purpose, the real reason, and the drivers behind the desire for “getting on a new system” (or whatever your destination may be).
It serves as the compass for when roadside distractions, unplanned route closures, cranky drivers or passengers, and vehicle troubles emerge.
It centers around clarifying your:
It’s less about the How and more about the Who, Where, and Why.
However you craft it, your strategy should be co-designed with leaders and employees to ensure everyone’s on board and moving in the same direction.
Gathering feedback from your team isn’t just a box-ticking exercise; it’s crucial for creating a plan that people actually believe in and support.
Get the Word Out – Then Set on Repeat
Once your plan is done (hint: if done well, it shouldn’t take you more than a day to draft), it’s crucial to communicate it a lot…and as early as possible with your ENTIRE organization, starting at Phase Zero (the phase BEFORE you kick off your project).
Generating alignment and maintaining continual bi-directional communication can help alleviate stress, ensure project focus, and reduce resistance.
Open and transparent feedback loops keep everyone informed and engaged.
Remember, change isn’t just happening to your team; it’s happening with them.
By having a well-documented and organizationally communicated Strategic Plan, your project team and all impacted stakeholders can focus on your critical path goals, which allows you to avoid unnecessary complexities that can derail your project.
Stop to Stretch, Snack, Explore, and Celebrate
You can’t determine if you're on the right route if you don't stop every once in a while and check your surroundings...plus, some of your team might be a little hangry and in need of a stretch and a snack.
Embed milestones and moments of pause, inspection, reflection, and recharge throughout the project.
Setting clear metrics for success is critical. These should include both quantitative (numbers-driven) and qualitative (experience-driven) measures that are evaluated regularly and celebrated repeatedly during the project (not just at the end).
It’s not just about getting to your destination; it’s about recognizing and reflecting on each mile met to keep morale high and the team focused on the critical path.
Strategy isn’t just about having a plan. It’s about creating alignment, setting clear goals, involving your stakeholders, and ensuring continuous communication.
So, if you’re facing changes in your organization, start by crafting a clear strategy that focuses on the WHY, WHO, and WHERE.
To quote a colleague of mine, "It's not just about everyone rowing in the same direction, it's also ensuring they're on the same BOAT."
Keep those communication channels open, celebrate the small wins, stay flexible...and have your strategy mapped out and shared. The route may change, but the destination is clear.
Change is hard, but it's certainly possible with the right strategy and investment in becoming change-ready.
Have questions or want to dig a little deeper? Sign up for Newbury Partners’ upcoming webinar series: Change Readiness Essentials