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Companies and industries inevitably change, but it doesn’t mean that it is always easy. Sometimes, changes can massively disrupt the way that we do business. This can influence our customers, our employees, and every level of leadership. As a result, we need real responses to unprecedented change.[1]
When significant changes influence a company or industry, there is simply no way to move past it without effective change management principles. Companies need to be able to help everyone adjust, whether it is our customers or our employees. A dedicated response that addresses change is necessary, and it can help us excel over our competition. Fortunately, by adhering to certain change management best practices, we can create a space where change is embraced.
Change Power
Change power can play a vital role in how your company responds to change[1]—but most companies don’t think about their change power until it is far too late. Learning how to improve your change power can ensure that when significant changes do happen, your company will be ready for them. The importance of change management is easy to see but change power might be even more important.
What Is It? How Do You Measure It?
Your change power, as defined by Harvard Business Review (HBR), is your company’s capacity for change.[1] It is a general level of how well your company will be able to respond and adapt to change. The higher your change power is, the better your change management plans will work.
To measure your change power, you must consider the factors influencing change. Companies that score high in several key areas have a higher change power score, enabling them to manage change more effectively.
Traits and Abilities for Companies to Excel at Change
There are several “elements” of change power that HBR[1] outlines, and each one plays a crucial role in your company’s capacity for change.
Flexibility—This one can seem pretty obvious, but it is imperative and necessary for organizing change. Your flexibility involves your business processes, teams, and anything else that you will need to respond to change.
Action—Does your company culture have that treasured can-do attitude? Companies that score well in action are more likely to take active steps towards change.
Development—How your company approaches development plays a key role in change because development naturally prepares employees for growth.
Scaling—Companies that scale programs well will be able to implement change more quickly throughout the organization due to innovative solutions to existing challenges.
Choreography—How well do your teams share information and adapt to new tasks? This helps companies make adjustments and change priorities as necessary.
Capacity—What is your company’s general capacity for change? This shows you what changes your teams will be able to handle.
Connection—How connected are your teams? Do you have a lot of networking? Tight-knit groups can create buy-in and help to push change.
Direction—Companies with strong direction are great at making and implementing plans that will ultimately influence their ability to approach change. This clarifies “where you are going and how to get there.”[1]
Purpose—A company with a strong purpose will have a strong guiding force while approaching change. Purpose makes it possible to create buy-in, create a sense of belonging, and inspire progress.
Final Thoughts!
From an organizational perspective, leaders are dealing with unprecedented times. As such, they need to “build businesses that will thrive in a world of unpredictable and accelerating change.”[1] Change power is an important tool to help organizations measure their capacity for change. It’s a way to identify what your organization is doing well, where your organization needs to improve, and how you measure up to your competition to develop a new mindset for your employees to embrace change.
Organizational Change Management is a complex process that requires careful planning and strategy execution. Leader Essentials Group provides a detailed framework for implementing strategic initiatives, focusing on internal branding and employee buy-in. Email us at info@leaderessentialsgroup.com to schedule a meeting to learn more about our 4-module Change Management training for practitioners and how we can partner with you to help you execute your strategy!
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Dr. Cristina Rosario DiPietropolo is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Leader Essentials Group, an executive consulting firm focused on organizational effectiveness. Extensive experience across multiple industries and highly skilled in the areas of strategic planning, organizational behavior, human resource management, change management, leadership, and digital marketing. Over ten years of teaching experience as a Visiting Professor of Management, with a special focus on leadership in entrepreneurship, organizational behavior, and international management.
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[1] Michels, D., & Murphy, K. (2021). How Good is Your Company at Change? Harvard Business Review. Retrieved January 12, 2022, from https://hbr.org/2021/07/how-good-is-your-company-at-change