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How to change and succeed in adverse conditions
“The one who handles change in the right way
will prosper; the one who doesn’t know how to handle it
will be at risk.”
“Very frequently, organizations don’t see the need for a change.
They don’t correctly identify what they need to do, or what to do to
make it happen, or what to do to maintain it. This happens to
companies, to educational organizations, to nations.”
“Our Iceberg is Melting is a simple fable about how to move on and
succeed in an ever changing world. The story, based on the
prizewinning work of John Kotter, Harvard Business School professor,
has been used to help thousands of people and organizations. It is
the story of a penguin colony, which has lived in the Antartica for
many years, until one of its members discovers a potentially
devastating problem that jeopardizes their habitat. However, almost
no one takes these news seriously. The characters resemble many
people we know…The story is one of resistance to change and heroic
behavior, obstacles that seem impossible to overcome, and ingenious
tactics to overcome them. It is a story that develops every day and
everywhere, in one way or another, but the penguins handle the
challenges better than most of us do.”
“With this piece, John Kotter shows how eight steps produce the
necessary changes in any type of group, and provides a valuable
guide on how to act in a world that is going faster every day.”
THE EIGHT STEPS PROCESS FOR A
SUCCESSFUL CHANGE
- Develop an urgency sense. Help
others see the need for a change and the importance of an
immediate response.
- Organize the leading Group. Make
sure that the leading group counts with their peers’ credibility;
that they have leadership qualities, credibility, and authority;
that they are communicative, and that they have analysis ability
and an urgency sense.
- Develop the vision and strategy
change plan. Be clear on pointing out what will be different in
the future than in the past, and on how to make this future a
reality.
- Communicate in order to obtain
empathy and approval. Make sure that the largest possible number
of people accept and understand the vision and strategy.
- Train others on how to act. Take
out most of the obstacles so that those who want to make the
vision a reality can reach their goal.
- Promote short-term success.
Show, as soon as possible, some visible and obvious successful
changes.
- Don’t cease in your cause. Keep
going with more eagerness and faster after the first successful
changes. Be tireless in promoting a change after another until
the vision becomes a reality.
- Develop a new culture. Mantain
the new behavior, and make sure that it is successful until it
is strong enough to replace the old traditions.
Summary of the book “Our Iceberg
is Melting”. Author: John Koter / Co-author: Holger Rathgeber. |
