The pace of change is getting exponentially faster – over the next decade, we’ll experience the same amount of change as we did all of last century. It reportedly only took five days for ChatGPT to reach one million people and two months for it to reach 100 million. Proactively leading through change is now the norm and leaders therefore need to be good at it. 

The reality of change in workplaces 

An estimated two-thirds of change initiatives fail to realise their business goal(s). While people like to think they are good with change, most of us aren’t. The reality is, we need to be embracing change. Otherwise, we risk losing great people and we will end up changing at such a slow pace that we will get left behind. 

John Kotter, known as the change guru in the business world, cites four failure points of change: 

1. Top-down command and control approach (do as I say).
2. Withholding information – where leaders operate on a need-to-know approach.
3. No involvement (thereby a lack of engagement).
4. Low empathy – a failure to acknowledge the needs and concerns of others or show due care in the process. 

When leading change, it is crucial to understand that technological change is not a technological exercise. It’s a people one 

The Change Management Iceberg

In the 1990s, author Wilfried Krüger published his Change Management Iceberg theory, which highlights that when implementing change, leaders get caught up at the pointy part of the iceberg – time, cost and quality (i.e. issues management). 

The paradox is that leaders need to be focused on the hidden components in the 90% of the iceberg beneath the surface – people’s perceptions and emotions, the politics/power part of change, and the opponents to (or promotors of) it. More often than not, the people you are leading will be sitting in the depth of this iceberg thinking about quite different things than the leader; feeling quite emotional and often passively resisting. 

The Kübler-Ross Change Curve 

The Kübler-Ross Change Curve, originally developed for those experiencing grief, has a very useful application to organisational change. It acknowledges that change impacts people in a similar way to grief. 

When impacted, people can fluctuate from shock or denial (a “look the other way” mentality) through to anger, bargaining, depression and confusion about a change. The latter often shows up as a low mood, energy deficiency and change fatigue. Self-doubt can also occur at this stage where people question if they are ever going to “get it”. The curve then comes through to the other side where we might see some curiosity, then acceptance (even if slightly begrudgingly) and, even better, people embracing the change. 

Leaders experience the change curve ahead of their team and so integrate to the change quicker. More often than not, by the time a leader is proposing change, they are in full acceptance, whereas the people they are leading are usually behind them in terms of readiness. As a leader of the change, it is important to understand these stages to help your team move through them; knowing what to communicate and the level of support needed. 

So what makes change stick? 

How do we win “hearts and minds” and successfully take people on this change journey?  Four things need to be in place for change to stick: 

1. Clear leadership
2. Clear vision and strategy
3. Delivery of a road map with process measures
4. Communication 

Leaders cannot abdicate or delegate change. Being deliberate and disciplined in leading, planning and communication is vital.  

Like any project implementation, utilising a framework for change will help. It doesn’t necessarily matter which model or methodology, just using one will help you navigate the process and ask key questions. Models such as ADKAR can be useful, or borrow a change management methodology from the likes of Google’s Change Management Methodology for Google Workspace.  These allow for planning around communication; ensuring that “change champions” are in place, revisiting training throughout, and measuring success. Measurement is important when it comes to AI change because AI is not tangible, so progress is harder to notice extrinsically.  

Communication is everything 

Communication is the number one predictor of change success. The minute you feel you are over-communicating, you are probably communicating about right.    

Learning and development professional Robert Harris developed a conversational framework for change called The Four Box Model which covers four key points in boxes: 

1. Convey the heightened sense of urgency and need for change
2. Describe benefits of the change – and how you’ll get there
3. Articulate what you presume to be others’ concerns and front-foot a discussion on how you will help minimise or offset them
4. Clarify what will stay the same, honouring the past and preserving things that are valued. 

He argues a case for going in this order but to spend the most time on point 3.  If a leader can win the audience at these points, people will be more open-minded to register change and its benefits. 

Difficult interactions 

When leading change, you will always have a large portion of people who start in “resistance”.  Listening, being curious and asking questions are super-strengths when leading resistance.  Hearing people out and utilising de-escalation techniques (summarise their concern and check you’ve got it right, literally asking, “is that right?”) will go a long way. Individuals will feel listened to and acknowledged, which is an important step.   

Long-term change 

With the current pace of change, organisations are likely to feel that they are in a continual change process. In response, it’s important to think about the type of talent you’ll need for the future and recruit for key competencies such as foresight, open-mindedness, agility and resilience.   Two key competencies to factor into your selection process will be the ability to think critically and the ability to learn, or as Alvin Toffler said in his book Future Shock, “the ability to learn, unlearn and relearn”.  

Summary 

If you are leading change, remember that others will be behind you on the change curve. Be conscious, deliberate and disciplined in planning and leading the change – and remember, the quality of your communication is everything. 

For more help with organisational development and change management, contact our specialists today!