Painting a picture of change

Date: | Author: compita | Category: Change management | Tags:

In our last newsletter I wrote about commitment and the need to communicate the ‘why’ of process improvement. Now I’d like to consider how to make the ‘why’ stick. Knowing how to communicate the reason ‘why’ we need to change is one of the keys to unlocking commitment.

I’m often asked, “How do I get commitment (sometimes it’s called buy-in) from senior management to make the change?” Running a PI programme is all about changing the way an organisation works. So of course, a PI programme needs buy-in, if indeed, it is to succeed.

Let’s start with the people involved in change. Who do we need to get the buy-in from? Is it just the boss? Although senior management hold the purse strings and steer the company’s strategic direction, the truth is you need to get everyone’s commitment to change. Getting everyone to say, “Hey yes, this is a great idea. Let’s get on with it!” is of course no easy task. In fact it is often one of the hardest.

So how do we do it? The first thing everyone needs is a shared vision of a common goal, a picture they can understand. Individuals need to see where they fit into the picture, and visualise what’s in it for them. Then we must ‘sell’ the picture to everyone within the organisation.

The first ‘sale’ is to senior management. Getting them to believe in the goal is one of those key moments. They are either for or against. Those still sitting on the fence, I’m afraid to say, are probably against the goal.

The second ‘sale’ is to the rest of the business. Everyone needs to understand and believe in the goal and the value it will bring them. If we can address these issues then we’re 90% of the way to getting the commitment that is needed.

The second thing we need is a shared belief that the goal is achievable. For this, we need a robust process improvement plan or roadmap. What are we asking others to do and when? Everyone needs to understand the plan and how they each will contribute to its success. The plan needs to communicate, communicate, communicate what’s required and when.

If we can paint a picture that everyone believes in, then take that picture, plan its reality and let everyone know, you’ve just given your programme every chance of success.

Cyril Dyer