Leading Change When It Goes off the Tracks

Small businesses, entrepreneurs and authors can learn a lot about why some changes just don’t work for them. Author John P. Kotter is a change management expert, and his book Leading Change offers some great insights that can help any business move through change with more ease. First we need to understand what gets in the way of an effective change process:


Kotter says that businesses fail with their change processes because:

- They allow too much complacency

- They fail to create a powerful and effective change guiding coalition

- They underestimate the power of vision

- They under communicate the vision- communication is actions and words

- Permitting obstacles to block the new vision

- Failing to create short term wins


For businesses, authors and entrepreneurs, it is important we don’t become complacent in our work, always endeavor to be innovative, and passionate. It is the passion and innovation that helps you solve business challenges, and that people remember you for.  When you are excited about your business, others want to be a part of it. No one wants to do business with an owner that doesn't care anymore.
The results will serve you well.

Ensure that you have a vision, know how powerful a vision is and communicate it, and communicate it some more. We are learning that it takes about 14 “touches” which means someone seeing your message, before they buy, sign up or commit. This is a lot of communication in different formats but it works!

Don’t let obstacles or shiny objects get in the way or your plans and vision. Always find the short term "win wins", they fuel the next step in the journey. Also, bring people along with you!  These indivduals become champions for you, your business and your vision. 

To find out more about John P. Kotter, or his incredible books, visit: 

Change: Can it be as easy as 1, 2, 8

John Kotter, is the author of Leading Change, a great book about the challenges of change and the 8 step process to implement change more effectively and thus avoiding the consequences of lower morale, and business interruptions.  Kotter's 8 step process may not always be easy as 1, 2, 3 but, these steps provide a road map to follow. 


1. Establish sense of urgency

2. Create the guiding coalition

3. Develop vision and a strategy

4. Communicate the change vision

5. Empower employees for broad based action

6. Generate short win wins

7. Consolidate gains and produce more change

8. Anchor new approaches in the culture

From my experience, the steps that are frequently missed, downplayed or challenged are: 2, 3, 4, and 5. Often the urgency is present however, I see leaders jump into implementing the change without pulling together the team, so, the leader becomes the change agent, communicator, lead, etc. When a change team is created, there are more champions to communicate the vision, and empower others.  The communication of change is very important, right from the WHAT is being communicated to the WHEN and in WHAT ways.  I am a strong believer of having a communication plan to guide the communication, this minimizes opportunity for miscommunication, rumours and inaccurate assumptions.
When I facilitated change management processes, these aspects form part of the change charter that is developed by the team leading the change.

To find out more about Kotter's book, visit: