Fostering change in an organization is crucial for the success of the proposed change. It enables the organization’s staff and stakeholders to embrace rather than despise the change. As a leader, I would take several steps to ensure that I foster rather than impose change.
The first step would be to have a clear understanding of the prevailing culture of the organization and give the culture its due. This is because the culture in an organization plays a vital role in driving the change process. It can therefore hinder or promote the change process. Moreover, it would be difficult to manipulate the change, especially using force hence a more effective strategy would be required. The second step would be to create urgency for the change. Without a sense of urgency, people would be unlikely to change.
The third step would be to articulate and reinforce the culture particularly the components of the culture that support the vision of the organization. Using such components makes it easier to implement the change because of the potential influence they have on the other parts of the organization. The step may involve creating a team that will steer the change process by leading the other members of the organization in adopting the change. However, the team selected to lead the change process should be composed of individuals who are enthusiastic about the proposed change.
The fourth step would entail aligning the organization’s vision and strategy in a way that supports the proposed change. Vision and strategies not only help to steer the change process but also enable the organization to stay focused on the change process. The fifth step involves communicating the proposed change to the members of the organization to ensure that it remains in their minds and also empowering them to embrace the change. Lastly, I would generate short-term gains which are crucial for the change process, and which encourage members of the organization to continue embracing the change.