Excerpted from Our Iceberg Is Melting –

Step by Step Plan to Manage Change

SET THE STAGE

1.      Create a Sense of Urgency.

Help others see the need for change and the importance of acting immediately. Develop more and more energy dedicated to action. Consider: Do we have a strong “why” for our change? Are enough people convinced that we must do something about it? What is our iceberg model, or bottle, to help others see and feel the need for change?

2.      Pull Together the Guiding Team.

Make sure there is a powerful group guiding the change—one with leadership skills, credibility, communications ability, authority, analytical skills, and a sense of urgency. Consider: Do we have a core group of penguins who share that sense of urgency, like Louis, Alice, Buddy, Fred, and the Professor? Are they working well together as a team or dot hey need to go for a squid hunt?

DECIDE WHAT TO DO

3.      Develop the Change Vision and Strategy.

Clarify how the future will be different from the past, and how you can make that future a reality. Consider: What would be the equivalent of becoming nomads and being “free”? Is that better future attractive enough? Do we have a credible path to achieve that goal? Is there a guide like the seagull, or a role model to learn from?

MAKE IT HAPPEN

4.      Communicate for Understanding and Buy-In.

Make sure as many others as possible understand and accept the vision and the strategy. Go beyond “stopping resistance” to creating more and more people who want to help you. Consider: Do we have communication tactics like ice-posters and talking circles? Are there enough participants from every rank of the organization helping us communicate the message?

5.      Empower Others to Act.

Remove as many barriers as possible so that those who want to make the vision a reality can do so. Encourage others to remove barriers and make true innovation happen. Consider: Who are the planners and scouts who believe in the vision and want to help make it a reality? Have we made it clear where we want and need their help? Do we have enough? Is there a plan to deal with the No Nos, crying kindergarteners, and other barriers to success?

6.      Produce Short-Term Wins.

Create some visible, unambiguous successes as soon as possible—something that makes today better than yesterday and tomorrow better than today. Whenever feasible, communicate and celebrate these “wins.” Consider: Have we given the scouts a first goal that they can reach fast enough to win over the skeptics? Can we organize something like a Heroes Day to recognize the contributions of our heroes and celebrate progress?

7.      Don’t Let Up.

Press harder and faster after the first successes. Be relentless with initiating change after change until the vision is a reality. Consider: Have we raised the bar for the next wave of scouts? Which meetings are no longer needed and can be canceled, so we don’t exhaust ourselves? What else can we do to keep the momentum going?

MAKE IT STICK

8.      Create a New Culture.

Hold on to the new ways of behaving, and make sure they succeed, until they become strong enough to replace old traditions. Better still, make all of these steps a central part of the way you live to help you adapt to an ever faster changing world. Consider: Are we putting those who have helped make change happen in leadership roles?

We reviewed this easy-to-read “change management” book “:Our Iceberg Is Melting” as part of our Home Health Leadership Community – HHLC.  You can find this book very easily on Amazon or at any local bookstore but it is much more impactful when you have the chance to interact with other Home Health leaders in our HHLC.  

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