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Change. Like, it’s enough already. Right? Living it, leading it, anticipating it…we just can’t catch a break.
And yet. Companies are failing – too often and for no good reason. And I wanna call out the 5 biggest causes of failure I’m watching play out on repeat.
We've all learned change the old way. Start with a compelling vision, build a thoughtful plan, and communicate like all get-out.
But today - in the face of the current pace, volume, and pervasiveness of change - that approach just isn't enough.
So yeah. Let's do it. Let's talk about the 5 failures I keep seeing - and land on some better ways to getting it done!
1. Failure to pull the thread
Let’s talk football for a sec. I know – spit-take. But stick with me.
When I plop onto the couch next to my husband watching football, what we each see is totally different.
I see chaos. A bunch of padded fools running at and jumping on each other while throwing balls.
But my husband? He sees sport. Strategy. A cohesive set of plays. Having learned the game, he sees its totality. And it makes sense.
Helping our teams make sense of the game - so they see totality over chaos - is a huge difference maker.
Taking the time to educate the organization on how that new software, the team reshuffle, the shiny new customer strategy fit together and support each other strategically creates a singular narrative.
Pulling the singular thread through a series of seemingly disparate moving parts enhances understanding and reduces change fatigue.
2. Failure to plan with agility
Sticking with football…I’m pretty sure any pro coach shows up with a high-level strategy. But not a fully baked set of plays.
Nope – they call a play, see how it goes and where it land. The outcome informs the next play.
This is the embodiment of agility. And we’re failing to do it in our change efforts.
Too many companies are building long-term plans that leave no room for humility. For something to go wrong. For the chance to pivot. And it’s a disaster.
We need to start planning in shorter bursts. Laying out the next few steps, seeing how they go, adjusting as needed, and moving forward from there.
Your goal posts can be far. But your plans? They should be tight.
3. Failure to re-energize your people
Whoever, wherever they are, these last few years have been a lot.
It’s not your fault. Not your problem to solve.
But it’s yours to acknowledge. To just say hey. It’s been a lot. For me too. I’m not always OK – are you?
Don’t be a therapist. A doctor. But do explore places where you can infuse even just a little bit of ease into the system.
What can you clarify? Where can you add context? What niggly problem can you help them work through? Every solid counts.
4. Failure to ask the frontline
Doing leadership well means sitting at a perch that offers a bird’s eye view.
By definition, a leader shouldn’t be in the weeds.
Which means when leaders build plans, before they announce them, they need to capture feedback from those who will be implementing them.
It’s way too easy to lay out an approach that looks great on paper. But it’s not until the plan is rolled out that we learn hey – those two systems don’t actually talk to each other. Or that change is going to slow our time to ship. Or frustrate our customers.
Our teams have insights and experiences that we don’t. And when we fail to learn those early, we fail to change. We backtrack. We lose face and they lose faith.
And no one wins.
We lose face and they lose faith.
5. Failure to celebrate. Early and often.
Wanna know the greatest predictor of success? It’s success!
As in – set a big goal. But then find some quick wins and celebrate the [bleep] out of them! Because celebration triggers a release of dopamine. Which feels amazing. And we want more.
Don’t make things up. Just look for small increments of progress and call them out.
Like if the “big” change is a total overhaul of our customer outreach strategy, don’t wait until the overhaul is achieved. The first new positive customer interaction deserves a moment of honor.
Change is hard. We all know that. But if your change efforts are hitting a wall, take a look at these 5 fails. Is your org guilty of at least one? Chances are…well, you know.