As change management consultants, we’ve had a chance to work with some great Sponsors. When we see leaders who are consistent in what they are Expressing, Modeling and Reinforcing the new behaviors, the change projects we work on move much faster. But we also find our share of leaders who just don’t get what they need to do as leaders of change.
Target Readiness is an important element of the Accelerating Implementation Methodology (AIM) change management model. Don Harrison, developer of this highly respected implementation framework, lists four requirements for Targets to get to sustained change adoption, whether the individual is a leader, or at the front lines. These include having:
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times…Sponsorship is the single most important factor in a fast and successful implementation. But what exactly is Sponsorship? And why is it so important?
Let’s get real. If you are working on a transformational change are you doing more with less or doing different things differently? Are you looking for incremental change or transformational change? It’s your choice, but if you say the latter and deliver the former (or nothing at all) you are going to pay a heavy price in your organization.
I have a little secret to tell you. If you are a Change Agent it is probably something you don’t want to hear, but I’m going to let you in anyway. Ready? Here it is… your Sponsors don’t care about change management.
When most people think about change management, they automatically assume preparing targets is the most important activity a Change Agent should be doing. But we all know you should never assume (and we all know why, too!) The fact is, having visible and active Sponsors at all levels of the organization who are actively demonstrating their commitment to a change, both publicly and privately, is the most important factor in a fast and successful implementation.
Whether it is digital transformation, continuous improvement initiatives such as Lean Six Sigma, culture change or a shared services implementation, the success of any change project depends on the demonstrated Expressed, Modeled and Reinforced commitment of all the managers and leaders who have direct reports that are impacted in some way by the change. This cascade of behavioral Sponsor commitment is the single most important factor in a fast and successful implementation.
You’ve heard it time and time again: Project Sponsorship is the most critical success factor in ensuring a fast and successful implementation of any type of business change. But Sponsorship is not just one executive leader who signs the check and authorizes the launch of an initiative. It’s also not a steering committee of key leaders tasked with making strategic decisions along the way.
If you are a Next Generation Change Agent, you know what your #1 priority is. It’s not about spending precious time filling out templates and checklists. It’s not about a useless effort trying to eliminate (instead of manage) resistance. And it’s not about communication messages that try to convince Targets that this change will be good for them. For a Next Generation Change Agent, that’s missing the boat!
Forbes Magazine recently published an online article, “15 Change Management Mistakes You're Probably Making” written by the Forbes Coaches Council. The article lists their take on the most common mistakes made by leaders and their insights on how to avoid them.
