Navigating change: a simple exercise for success

This summer has been a season of change. I’ve had the privilege of supporting leaders from various organisations of various shapes and sizes, supporting them through different change initiatives. Drawing inspiration from these projects, here’s an exercise I’ve developed to help if you’re planning or currently experiencing change or transformation.

In the upcoming second part of this series, I’ll delve deeper into the importance of effective change messaging.

Imagine the change

Working in collaboration with Jigsaw Foresight, we've been helping a large communications team step into a new operating model. Inspired by that work, here's an exercise you can use to envisage and plan a transformation. It works just as well individually or as a group.

Step 1: Reflect

What’s the change you want to achieve?

Take some time to give this some thought. Make sure to be specific about the change you have in mind. Think about the ‘why’ along with the ‘what’. Having a clear purpose behind any transformation is important. If you’re doing this as a group, reflect on the questions individually for a few minutes before talking through your thoughts.

Step 2: Visualise

What needs to happen to make this change a reality?

Literally map the journey from where you are now to the change you want to achieve. You’ll need a pen and a flipchart or whiteboard. Be creative. If you like you can add some flair to the map - imagine treasure maps, transport maps, street maps or topographical maps. Include all the actions and milestones you can think of, and any stakeholder or collaborators you might meet along the way.

Step 3: Mitigate

What could stop the change from happening?

No change process is without its challenges. Think about the things that could go wrong through the course of the transformation. What are the risks? What are the obstacles? Who might be the detractors? You can add all of these to your map if you like. Then think about how you could avert and overcome them, add these to your map too.

Need help?

Sometimes it can be helpful for somebody independent and neutral to help guide you through a process like this. If nothing else it can help you to focus on the conversation and the change without having to worry about the process. If that’s of interest, drop me an email and we can chat about how I can help you with change, transformation and facilitation skills. Together, we can ensure your change process is as seamless and successful as possible.

Lead image created using ChatGPT