Especially, after the speed of change in the global economic environment bacame much faster, it is quite evident that most organizations are building and carrying out change agendas so as to transform their organizations in consonance with the current economic and business realities. But it is believed that most of these efforts do not succeed as per the intentions. Often, people management issues are handled poorly, among others. What in your view are reasons for this, and what business strategy and HRM strategy issues are at stake that contribute to the high failure rate?
Dear Debi
I am not well versed with it. But as per the Harvard Business Review the following are as suggested by John P Kotter (Jan 2007).
Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail
Error 1: Not Establishing a Great Enough Sense of Urgency
Error 2: Not Creating a Powerful Enough Guiding Coalition
Error 3: Lacking a Vision
Error 4: Undercommunicating the Vision by a Factor of Ten
Error 5: Not Removing Obstacles to the New Vision
Error 6: Not Systematically Planning for, and Creating, Short-Term Wins
Error 7: Declaring Victory Too Soon
Error 8: Not Anchoring Changes in the Corporation’s Culture
http://hbr.org/2007/01/leading-change-why-transformation-efforts-fail/ar/1
Dear Debi
I am not well versed with it. But as per the Harvard Business Review the following are as suggested by John P Kotter (Jan 2007).
Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail
Error 1: Not Establishing a Great Enough Sense of Urgency
Error 2: Not Creating a Powerful Enough Guiding Coalition
Error 3: Lacking a Vision
Error 4: Undercommunicating the Vision by a Factor of Ten
Error 5: Not Removing Obstacles to the New Vision
Error 6: Not Systematically Planning for, and Creating, Short-Term Wins
Error 7: Declaring Victory Too Soon
Error 8: Not Anchoring Changes in the Corporation’s Culture
http://hbr.org/2007/01/leading-change-why-transformation-efforts-fail/ar/1
Dear nageswar
Thanks for your post. Indeed, John Kotter is one of the most sought-after change specialists; and his 8-point chnage theory has much credibility both amongst academics and practitioners. Thanks once again.
Because man is unpredictable and success is always associated with organization, effort, competence. When trying to change a company, an institution or even a country, it is not always possible to meet people who have the same goals.
In an article published by Rick Maurer author of "Beyond the Wall of Resistance," he listed the following four reasons for unsuccessful change:
1. Lack of Knowledge
2. Lack of Skill and Practice.
3. Hidden Conflicts Working Against Change
4. Culture Working Against Change
Dear @debi, I think that the most organizational change efforts fail because of the lack of leadership.
Thanks dear Mahfuz, for your list quoting the reserach of Rick Maurer. Interestingly, that would be so in almost all change attempts. Some change efforts succeed as well, despite the resistence. That means there are some unique factors operating to determine the change success in those situations. And, when they are missing in any change attempt, then the effort is bound to fail. Any comments on that?
Organizational change efforts fail for various reasons. Few examples:
-A change "usually" has to be done after careful study. If the change is applied in a hasty manner under pressure or stress, then this is a recipe for failure.
- A change needs financing & if there are no adequate resources, then the effort will fail.
- The organization's human resources are key for the success of a change. They may refuse a change or they may not be "up to" this challenge.
-The organization's management may not feel the need for a "real" change unless the organization is under threat. So what will go on is a "superficial" change that will proceed into a failure.
- Outside factors within the country or worldwide may play a role in the failure of efforts for a change but we have to be "careful" in judgment because when there is failure, there is also "psychological escapism" or blaming the "bogus" others.
All change initiations, have to be meticulously identified -strategized - planned- executed.
Organizations goal may be to achieve something common, through members " loosely knit fabric like a NET".
Change interventions should be a super set with the "desired state activity" as sub-set within it.
There are
Debi -
I think that part of the problem is summarized (very seriously) by a joke written on a t-shirt I once bought on vacation. It said "The beatings will continue until morale improves."
In my experience, "...organizational change efforts fail..." because they are not thought through and planned with knowledgeable members of the organization. In a relatively recent example of such a (repeated) failure to plan and learn from past failures, I saw upper management trying to apply the above t-shirt quote, and they seemed to have no clue how useless it was to dictate based on their own ignorance. Their attitude was like saying "The moon is made of green cheese," and you will repeat that and act accordingly. Any dissent from such arbitrary and required positions indicate that you are not a 'team' player, which is nonsense, of course.
[It is interesting to note how clueless some Presidential appointees can be, and I expect that happens everywhere.]
Very frustrating.
- Jim
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