Change stirs a massive array of conflicting demands. It is inherently messy and complicated. Things never happen in the planned order and few things turn out right the first time around. Change is enormously political and intensely personal because it brings uncertainty, instability and upheaval.

Change involves standardizing practices, streamlining how work is conducted, working cross-functionally, and fostering better planning and discipline; in essence, a new way of organizational life. It means possible job loss or new job requirements and new bosses, reporting structures, performance standards, compensation plans, any one of which is enough to keep people up at night. Change also means new patterns of power, influence, control: high-stakes office politics. This is why change is sensitive and difficult.

Resistance has deep roots in emotions and fears. It needs to be understood, embraced, and allowed to express itself. People cannot be talked out of resistance. They need to be listened to.

A structured approach for leading change, beginning with the leadership team and key stakeholders must be implemented early, and adjusted as change moves throughout the organization. Change leadership needs to be integrated into program design and decision-making, informing and enabling strategic direction.

Successful change leadership is more an art than a science. It does not lend itself to reduction into charts and bullet points. BrightMagnet has validated key factors for successful leading large-scale change.

Appropriate project case and positioning
There is a need for a robust case for the change, with the project positioned as a business endeavor, aligned with the company’s strategy.

Accurate expectations
Expectations for the change and impact from the new systems, processes, organization design job redesign and performance management systems need to be set accurately. The change goals need to be grounded in realistic assessments of the organization’s history and current readiness for change.

Active support from the top and throughout the organization
Strong, united, active, visible sponsorship from leaders at the top is essential, with leaders modeling the desired behavioral changes. On the front lines, supervisors need to be empowered to head field-driven change initiatives. Throughout the organization, a dispersed team of change agents needs to be at work, bringing people on board, one by one.

Allocation of ownership to the right constituencies
The change needs to be owned by all the businesses and employees that will be impacted, rather than by the project team. While the project team may kick off the change initiative, ownership for the change needs to be transferred rapidly to the organization at large.

Alignment with specific performance outcomes
Business transformation contributes value only to the extent that it achieves specific performance outcomes. Specific, measurable objectives need to be set and translated into a set of smaller, measurable goals that talk to the people.

Aligned organization
Organizational values, beliefs, behaviors, policies, jobs, procedures, performance measurements and reward systems need to be aligned with the desired future.

Active collaboration between key areas with a bearing on change
Earnest, collaboration around the change initiative is vital between change management, HR, corporate communications, the project team, functional heads, business leaders and the councils and committees involved.

Abundant, authentic communication
Communication needs to proceed on two tracks: rationally addressing what will change,, and dealing with people’s fears and emotions. The organization needs to communicate proactively about what matters most to these people, otherwise the negative rumor mill will promptly fill the void. Communication should not try to rationally talk people out resistance: this cannot be done. Listening is an essential part of dealing with resistance. Face to face meetings, in small groups, are key. Communication needs to be abundant and relentless. Relationships based on trust need to be built across constituencies for the key messages about change to be heard. Most of all, communication needs to show that the leaders are behind the initiative.

Accurate assessment of readiness and willingness to change
Change management needs to be grounded in quantification and analysis of the human drivers of change: change risk and impact, cost of status quo, change readiness, cultural fit, and more. This involves significant data collection and analysis and a willingness to act promptly on the findings. These assessments need to take place before the change initiative is launched, during the implementation, and once the main implementation effort is over, to ensure that the desired business benefits are delivered for the long term.

Appropriate resources
Proper financial and personnel resources are needed for the project. Organizations with over $1B in revenues need to spend at least 1% of revenues on change initiatives. Prioritization of other organizational change initiatives in light of project demands is important, as are incentives to motivate change leaders inside and outside the project team.