Kotter-8-steps-ebook

2016 will mark the 20 thanniversary of John Kotter’sLeading Change, a book that’s beenwidely recognized as the seminal work inthe field of change management. Itintroduced the 8-Step Process for LeadingChange with a message to the reader:“You can lead change.Here is how to do it.”

Six years ago,Dr. Kotter beganobserving organizationsas they implementedthe 8-Step Processwith help from his firm.He saw proof that ourworld is moving a greatdeal faster than it was inthe early 1990s.

No matter howyou look at it,the world ismoving faster...

We at Kotter International have expanded ourthinking and work– have enhanced our 8-Step Process –to give organizations additional capabilities to leadchange under the particular conditions of today’s world.The breakthrough is in Accelerate, our book lengthstudy published by Harvard in 2014. We have increasedthe scope of the 8-Step Process from its original versionto give it reach and potency in 2015 and beyond...

What is your Big Opportunity?• Do you see a Big Opportunity that could ignite the heartsand minds of your people?• Do you know how to identify, articulate and communicate it?• Are you able to connect an external change factor with aspecial capability of your organization?• What are the stakes if you succeed?Consequences if you fail?Windows of opportunity are appearing, opening, and closing more quicklythan ever before. If you are able to identify even a glimmer of a BigOpportunity, it's important to quickly and urgently engage and mobilizearound it before competitors seize the window.

STEP 2Build a Guiding CoalitionA volunteer army needs a coalition of effective people — coming from its ownranks — to guide it, coordinate it and communicate its activities.81 %Real collaboration is about steppingoutside of traditional institutionalstructures to focus on results. In fact,there is an 81% correlation betweencollaboration and innovation.

Is your organization capable ofcoordinating and sustaining change?• Can you get buy-in from 50% of the organization to drivelarge-scale change?• Do you have a way to engage a formalized network to takeon innovative change initiatives?• Is work on strategic initiatives seen as "Have to" or"Want to"?• Do current hierarchical and silo-basedstructures stifle communication andengagement?Consider establishing a Guiding Coalition of engaged individuals from acrossyour organization to help you institute the specific attitudes and practicesnecessary to launch, drive and — most importantly — sustain change.

STEP 3Form a Strategic Vision and InitiativesDr. Kotter defines strategic initiatives as targeted and coordinated "activitiesthat, if designed and executed fast enough and well enough, will make yourvision a reality."Business Weekattributes30%higher return on several keymeasures for companies withwell-crafted mission statementsdescribing why the business existsand its optimal desired future state.

Is your organization aligned undera Vision and how to act on it?• Where in your organization are people aligned around asingle idea that inspires them to do things that move ideasforward?• Do people within the organization speak about the goals inthe same way with the same priority? If not, how can thesebe aligned?• If you asked people around the organizationabout the Change Vision, how many differentanswers would you get?The better people can envision where they are going, the more they canfocus on specific initiatives that will make that vision a reality. The strategicinitiatives best positioned to capitalize on the Big Opportunity should beprioritized and staffed. With whom? That leads us to our next step...

STEP 5Enable Action by Removing BarriersBy removing barriers such as inefficient processes or hierarchies, leadersprovide the freedom necessary for employees to work across boundariesand create real impact.44 %of leaders agree thattheir own managementstrategies are toobureaucratic andare a nuisance“Innovation is less aboutgenerating brand-new ideasand more about knockingdown barriers to makingthose ideas a reality.”~John Kotter, Accelerate

Do you know where yourorganization’s barriers are?• Have past change initiatives in your organization failed? If so, whatbarriers stopped them from succeeding?• Which of the most common barriers do you have — siloparochialism, pressure to make quarterly numbers, complacency,rules and procedures, or a limited number of change leaders?• Barriers can be commonly stated and accepted statements that,while appearing helpful, can deter attempts to get past legacyobstacles. These are statements like, "It's just not done that way,"or, "We tried that before — it didn't work."Over time, the hierarchies that serve organizations so well in terms ofefficiency and order can limit transformation. The cross-functional GuidingCoalition can work in tandem with hierarchical management to helpchange leaders over come barriers.

STEP 6Generate Short-Term WinsWins are the molecules of results. They must be collected, categorized,and communicated — early and often — to track progress and energizeyour volunteers to drive change.It takesabout six yearsof hard work tobecome anovernightsuccess.~Seth Godin

Do you generate and celebrate wins?• What are some examples of initiatives in your organizationthat were successful and part of a sustained effort? Whydid they work?• How often do you hear about successes in yourorganization? If rarely, is it because there aren't any, orbecause they aren't shared and celebrated?• Does your organization have what it takes to collect,correlate and celebrate wins?A change vision can take a long time to achieve. Dr. Kotter's research hasshown that generating and celebrating wins along the way is vital toacceleration towards and focus on the goal.

STEP 7Sustain AccelerationChange leaders must adapt quickly in order to maintain their speed. Whetherit's a new way of finding talent or removing misaligned processes, they mustdetermine what can be done — every day — to stay the course towards thevision.Agile firmssee a37 %increasein revenue when they employleaders who strategically adaptto any situation.

Are you balancing changemanagement with change leadership?ManagementLeadership• Planning• Budgeting• Organizing• Staffing• Problem Solving• Measuring• Doing What WeKnow How To Do• ProducingDependable,Reliable Results• EstablishingDirection• Aligning People• Motivating• Inspiring• Mobilizing Peopleto AchieveAstonishingResults• Propelling Us IntoThe FutureBalance is the essential factor in sustaining acceleration. How doyou counterweight the tendency to over-manage? Where are theopportunities for people up and down your organization tobehave more like leaders?

STEP 8Institute ChangeTo ensure new behaviors are repeated over the long-term, it's important thatyou define and communicate the connections between these behaviors andthe organization's success.When surveyed, 90% ofmanagers and employees said theimportance of agility and speedhas increased in the last 5 years.

How can you institute the change?Volunteer ArmyThe Big OpportunityResultsHow do you use the persistent celebration of Big Opportunitywins to maintain the engagement of the volunteer army andembed these new ways of working in the organization?

How can you balancereliability and agility?There must be clear communication and synchronization betweenthe traditional hierarchical structure (on the left side) and theinnovation network of volunteers (on the right side). How willyou achieve this?

The need to transform is criticalIf you know you need to transform but aren't sure where to start, call us:We will teach you how to execute the 8 Steps yourselves.UsYou

We help clientstransform into fast,agile organizationsWe are theworld’s only firm capable ofcombining our empirical researchand proprietary process to help yourorganization truly transform itself. Learnto lead your large-scale transformationby working with our Advisory Services.Build your change leadership skillsthrough our Center for Leaders. Or workwith both to create sustainable changecapacity and capability across all levelsof your organization. Regardless of theapproach, tangible businessimpact is the result.CONTACT USPhone: (855) 400.4712Email: Info@Kotterinternational.comWebsite: Kotterinternational.comTwitter: @KotterIntl