Sustain Phase: Change Management Framework® (a2BCMF®) Steps 9 - 10
Lots of statistics show organisational change and transformations failing to deliver their intended benefits, and few fully sustain the change. Even if the change programme starts off well in the Plan and continues into the Execute phase, by the time it reaches Sustain it has lost momentum. There are many reasons for this, another change or business priority has come along, and key employees in the original change team get promoted, move to other roles, or even to a different organisation. Whatever the reason, this loss of momentum and focus in the Sustain phase often leads to all the previous good work being undone and the change not being sustained.
Change Implementation Challenges - Sustain Phase:
9. Thinking Employees will Adopt the Change: Employees will need to be supported throughout all the change phases by the leadership team.
• Focus - Adoption: This step is about the organisation and employees making the transition from the current state ‘a’ to the future state ‘B’, leaving the old ways behind and adopting the new way of working and behaving. It is confirmation that they have fully accepted the change, both in mind and in heart. It is agreed that the new way of working is more efficient and benefits both the organisation and customers, which is part of the organisation’s future DNA.
“For change adoption to be successful, leadership needs to ensure employees are supported to develop the new skills, behaviours and motivation that delivers improved future organisation performance”
10. Not Transferring Ownership: Not closing the change properly by using a structured process to ensure sustainment and benefits delivery.
• Focus - Sustain and Close: This step is about Sustaining and Closing the change after the organisation and employees have made the transition to the ‘B’ state.
Sustain: Ensuring ongoing benefits delivery and measurement.
Close: Completing administrative activities and formal closure.
“One of the most difficult tasks in change management is to sustain the change, continuing adoption and aligning new behaviours with the organisation and individual score cards to ensure benefits realisation”
About the a2B Change Management Framework® (a2BCMF®)
The a2BCMF® is a structured and disciplined approach to support organisations, leadership teams, and individuals going through a change, the transition from the current ‘a’ state to the improved future ‘B’ state. The a2BCMF® has three phases and ten key process steps. Each phase provides change strategies, principles, analysis, and tactics to move from one phase to the next.
The framework is based on over thirty years of international change experience and brings together leading practices in change, people, and programme management. The structured programme approach, processes, techniques, and tools focus on overcoming the failures of previous changes by incorporating ten key steps and success elements for achieving organisational change. It supports strategic change implementation in terms of context, content, and process. The framework is a comprehensive management model that allows executives, managers, and change practitioners to successfully deliver and achieve organisational change. It requires a holistic approach, and some steps can be performed simultaneously.
Find out more:
Further Reading: Change Management Handbook - Leadership of Change Volume 3
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 (2023-2022-2021-2020) 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.