I’ve started so I’ll finish
How do you make sure that your change programmes deliver what you expect?
Are you the kind of person who likes to start something but doesn’t wait around to see the end result?
Many people in the UK will remember the famous phrase that Magnus Magnusson used on the Mastermind quiz programme - “I’ve started so I’ll finish”. He used to say it when the buzzer went mid-way through the last question. It often seemed to cause the contestant to be a bit flustered as it distracted them from the question. But they did have a chance to win that last vital point.
In a quiz programme the stakes are not that high. At the other end of the spectrum we are in the middle of some seismic-shift world events - for the changes that are happening around us it’s hard to imagine that the stakes could be much higher. Governments and global organisations have had to move at speed and take decisions to change how things are done without understanding all the risks or having time to consider the long term impacts.
The question I am wrestling with in a business context is how to ensure that, when change is initiated, the instigators don’t just pull the metaphorical pin on a hand-grenade, cause disruption and walk away.
Many and maybe most change initiatives are started with the best of intention, but if there is unclear ownership of the long-term results when the project is finished how can you be sure that you have achieved the outcomes that you want?
As a change management professional, it bothers me to see the disconnect between the initiators of change, the project team delivering the change and the business teams who are impacted by the change. In Mastermind terms - does the business get the final vital point and ‘win the game’.
In any change initiative I would always recommend that:
There is a senior, named individual who is accountable for providing updates on progress towards the project outcomes (not just the deliverables)
When the project is finished, ask the individuals who have been impacted by the change to tell the project story from a human point of view - how was it for them
Use mistakes as an opportunity to learn - all change is an experiment.
Please do get in touch If you want help with your change agenda: [email protected]
