Leading Change With Kotter's 8 Step Model Video

[Narrator] Change is part of life in every organization, whether you are responding to market changes or introducing a new technology.

John Kotter, an expert on change outlines a simple eight-step process to make change successful. Let's take a look at his model.

Step one is creating a sense of urgency to inspire others to act immediately. Kotter recommends that at least 75 percent of an organization's senior managers need to be convinced that business as usual is no longer an option. You can do this by communicating your message clearly and giving senior management a chance to voice their opinions and concerns.

Step two is putting together a guiding team, a group of people who can help you lead the change successfully. This might include some of the senior managers you first approached. An effective guiding team will have a diverse range of skills and qualities. These might include leadership, communication, analysis, networking, and problem solving.

Step three is developing a change vision and strategy. For your vision to have maximum impact, keep it simple and outline a logical set of steps to follow.

Step four is communicating the vision. So as many people as possible, understand and accept it To do this, be sure to use as many channels of communication as possible. These might include town hall meetings, focus groups, video communications, emails, and briefing sessions.

Step five is empowering others to act and contribute to the change initiative. You can do this by showing employees how their efforts contribute to the bigger picture, promoting collaboration, and trusting them to make decisions.

Step six is producing short-term wins. Celebrating interim success will help to maintain commitment and enthusiasm to the change process.

Kotter's seventh step is don't let up. If momentum starts to waiver, make sure everyone keeps going until you've achieved your goal.

The final phase of Kotter's model is making change stick. Step eight is about creating a new organizational culture that everyone supports. Rewarding good ideas and appointing champions to drive the change forward will help to ensure people really engage with the new culture.