The three essential phases during a business change
A company that wants to remain competitive must be able to deal well with planned and unplanned changes. If there is a planned change, there are various step-by-step plans that companies can follow to increase the chance of success of a particular change. The transformation to more data-driven working also involves certain changes. We have listed the three most important phases that companies should go through to successfully complete the process.
Phase 1. Create a climate for change
In the first phase, it is first important to demonstrate the urgency of the change using “evidence”. For example, employees will become less enthusiastic about an intended change if the essence is not understood. In this case, evidence refers to certain information that first of all shows why something needs to change (bad results, for example). You can also look at evidence such as information that shows that the change will benefit the company (previous success stories or studies, for example). In addition to creating urgency, it is important to map the so-called “change capacity” of the company. This mainly examines whether current employees are first and foremost capable of undergoing the intended change and whether they are willing to participate. The final step within the first phase is to create a clear vision so that it is clear to everyone what the company plans to do. In this way the change becomes concrete and support can be increased.
Phase 2. Engage stakeholders and initiate change
In the second phase, the way you communicate the vision is important. To ensure that the vision is adopted throughout the company, it is good to talk to many employees to identify certain doubts. The company must then also be open to possible adjustments if it appears that a large group of employees indicates this. By entering into dialogue with as many employees as possible, you remove so-called obstacles and create broader support for the change. Employees who are against the change may convince other employees, which hinders the process. Finally, it is important to share successes in the short term. This will then further motivate employees. It is therefore important to reward and appreciate people when they make a positive contribution to change.
Phase 3. Implement and maintain
In the final phase it is especially important that short-term successes are converted into long-term successes. This makes it important to continue looking for improvements or adjustments throughout the entire process. That is why it is important to continue to have conversations with employees so that they continue to support the change. Ultimately, the change will have to become part of the corporate culture. That is why it is also important to take the new vision as a starting point when hiring new employees.
Change through new insights
As you can see, information drives change. New insights lead to new actions. An online dashboard is often used to share information with the entire organization. DATA KINGDOM can develop a dashboard in collaboration with your management team that encourages the organization to take action. This way you not only have insight into the current actions, but you also see the effects of the change.
