Six steps to effective change Michael Beer
Six Steps to Effective Change – Why Change Programs Don’t Produce Change – Michael Beer et al, 1990
In the article "Why Change Programs Don't Produce Change" by Michael Beer, he outlines six steps to effective change. These steps are:
Mobilize commitment to change through joint diagnosis of business problems: This involves bringing together a group of people to diagnose the problems that need to be addressed and to create a shared understanding of the need for change.
Develop a shared vision of how to organize and manage for competitiveness: This step involves creating a shared vision of what the organization needs to look like in order to be successful in the future.
Foster consensus for the new vision, competence to enact it, and cohesion to move it along: This step involves building consensus around the new vision, ensuring that people have the skills and knowledge to implement it, and creating a sense of cohesion and teamwork to move the change process forward.
Spread revitalization to all departments without pushing it from the top: This step involves creating a sense of ownership and involvement in the change process throughout the organization, rather than simply imposing change from the top down.
Institutionalize revitalization through formal policies, systems, and structures: This step involves embedding the changes into the organization's formal policies, systems, and structures, so that they become part of the way the organization operates.
Monitor and adjust strategies in response to problems in the revitalized organization: This step involves monitoring the change process and making adjustments as needed to ensure that the organization continues to move in the right direction.
By following these six steps, organizations can avoid the shortcomings of programmatic change and achieve effective change that leads to long-term success
Why Change Programs Don’t Produce Change, Russell Eisenstat, Bert Spector and Michael Beer, HBR, November - December 1990