RESEARCH
Boardroom Diversity Revisited
- Leadership
4 Principles for Leading Change
Change efforts often fail – but there are ways to increase your chances of successful company-wide transformation
In a recent article for London Business School, Dr Philios Andreou Sphika pinpoints four problem areas that can impede successful change in even the best-performing organizations, and goes on to suggest four principles that can improve the odds of success.
20 years ago, ‘change management’ was largely seen as an isolated process associated with mergers or acquisitions, moving location, or entering foreign markets. Today, change is a constant leadership issue.
While people may speak positively about change, in practice, because human nature is conservative and unadventurous, they find change difficult. Consequently, developing an organization-wide culture that is truly open to change and innovation, requires a deep shift in mindset and a clear understanding of the motivators and potential barriers to change.
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In his article Dr Sphika highlights these four problem areas:
Principle 1: Engaging communication
PROBLEM: Communication pitched as a promotional campaign with unidirectional messaging targeted to the “what” and “how” rather than the “why” behind the change.
Principle 2: True leadership
PROBLEM: Leaders who are seen as ‘false sponsors’ because their attention is divided and their interest wavers.
Principle 3: The need for measurement and monitoring
PROBLEM: Progress that rarely is measured formally, and when it is, looks only at lagging indicators.
Principle 4: The essence of focus
PROBLEM: A continuous launch of change initiatives and priorities that weigh down the organization and make focus impossible.
Dr Philios Andreou Sphika heads the Other Markets Unit at BTS, a consulting firm specialising in the people side of strategy
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