AIM Methodology Description

There must be a clear and commonly held (Sponsors, Agents, Targets) definition of the Present State (is now) and Desired State (will be.)

Change Agents must have trust and credibility with Sponsors (those authorizing the change) and with Targets (those impacted by the change). Agents must be selected because of credibility, performance, and relationships—not just based on availability or technical skills.

Implementation does not occur in isolation; it occurs in the context of all those priorities competing for resources and all the lessons learned by those who experienced previous implementations.

Organizational stress can have a cumulative impact, affecting the organization’s ability to handle additional changes.  Unless a conscious effort is made to understand the impact of past implementation practices and lessons learned, mistakes are likely to be repeated, slowing down the new implementation and risking Return on Investment.

Strong Sponsor commitment is the single greatest influencer of implementation success.  Sponsors must express (say), model (do) and reinforce the desired new behaviors.  Sponsor commitment should be cascaded down to all affected levels of the organization for maximum acceleration.

For any implementation, you can take the time to build commitment or use your power to order and maintain compliance.  Both are viable management tools, but are only appropriate for specific types of change.  The right approach should be selected based on desired outcomes.

Resistance is a function of disruption, rather than whether a change is positive or negative.  Resistance is inevitable, but strategies and tactics can be employed to surface and manage resistance, increase readiness, and anticipate and remove likely barriers.

Communication alone will not lead to implementation success, but effective communications is a key component of any implementation plan.  All communication should include a feedback loop and be in the language and Frame of Reference of the Targets.  A properly executed communication plan creates a common vision for the change.

It doesn’t matter how well you communicate if you don’t change the reinforcement.  A strategy must be developed to make the motivation to leave the Present State stronger than the motivation to stay where things are.  Managers must apply positive rewards and recognition for performing the new behaviors, and provide negative consequences for staying in the Present State.

A strategic change that is consistent with the corporate culture has a much higher probability of implementation success.  If a direct conflict exists between the culture of the organization and the change, the culture will prevail.  The more non-alignment exists, the greater the need for higher-level Agent skills, durable Sponsorship, discipline,  tenacity, and a long-term implementation plan.

The biggest challenge isn’t figuring out the right things to do—it’s making the right things happen.  By applying education and learning, real-world consulting, and measurement tools just in time, just as needed, the odds for implementation success increase dramatically.