“The implementation of a major change starts with a compelling vision. It has to be bold, it has to stretch us, and unfortunately, there might be major challenges on the way to realise the future"
👏 Happy Friday!
On this day, January 27, 1967, three astronauts aboard Apollo 1 (Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White II, and Roger B. Chaffee) died while still on launch pad 34 as they were practicing for a two-week mission in space. The astronauts were the first Americans to die in a spacecraft. An investigation indicated that a faulty electrical wire inside the Apollo 1 command module was the probable cause of the fire. There were major design flaws with the module, key people did not speak up and no one imagined a simple test on the pad being could be catastrophic. Crewed Apollo flights were suspended for twenty months while the command module was redesigned.
✅ On September 12, 1962, John F. Kennedy stood at the podium on a sunny day at the Rice University campus in Houston, Texas. He said, “We meet in an hour of change and challenge, in a decade of hope and fear, in an age of both knowledge and ignorance.” In front of a crowd of thirty thousand people, he delivered an address to inspire Americans to support NASA's mission to the moon. “We shall send to the moon 240,000 miles away”. This vision was delivered onJuly 20, 1969, and the speech is still remembered today. “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” Change implementation starts with a compelling vision.
“The implementation of a major change starts with a compelling vision. It has to be bold, it has to stretch us, and unfortunately, there might be major challenges on the way to realise the future state"
👉 To be a leader of change you need followers, and your followers will need to know where your change vision leads them. The change vision needs to be a mental picture of the future, a description of the future ‘B’ state. It is very important because leaders need to convey a vivid and attractive picture of what everyone is working towards in a clear, consistent, and focused way, so that it inspires hope and helps employees see how their work and future align with the change. A compelling change vision should:
• Be brief and concise, like an elevator speech.
• Clearly define the positive benefits or advantages for the employees, the organisation and other key stakeholders.
• Be unique, bold, challenging but realistic, appealing to employee’s emotions.
• Paint a vivid picture of the positive future state and it cannot be vague.
• Outline the employee’s role in making the vision a reality.
• Include the What’s In It For Me (WIIFM).
• Inspire and appeal to the employee’s heart and mind.
• Outline the negative impact or disadvantages of not implementing the change.
Have a fantastic weekend with the ones you love and care for, enjoy some fresh air, exercise, eat, drink and be happy.
Further Reading: Change Management Behaviour – Leadership of Change Volume 6
Peter consults, speaks, and writes on the Leadership of Change®.
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Peter F Gallagher is a Change Management Global Thought Leader, Guru, Expert, International Speaker, Author and Leadership Alignment Coach.
Listed #1 by leadersHum Top 40 Change Management Gurus You Should Follow in 2022 (Mar 2022).
Ranked #1 Change Management Global Thought Leader: Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Change Management (2022-2021-2020) by Thinkers360.
Ranked #1 Business Strategy Global Thought Leader: Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Business Strategy (2022) by Thinkers360.
Ranked #2 Leadership Global Thought Leader: Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Leadership (Aug 2020) by Thinkers360.
Business Book Ranking
Change Management Behaviour - Leadership of Change® Volume 6, listed among the 50 Books from Thinkers360 Thought Leaders to read in 2022.
Change Management Adoption - Leadership of Change® Volume 5, listed among year-to-date’s (Jul 2021) most popular books on business and technology from Thinkers360 member thought leaders.
Change Management Handbook - Leadership of Change® Volume 3, listed among the 50 Business and Technology Books from Thinkers360 Thought Leaders to read in 2021.
Change Management Pocket Guide - Leadership of Change® Volume 2, ranked within the top 50 Business and Technology Books (Jan 2020) from Thinkers360 Thought Leaders.