Why Change Efforts Often Fail

WHY CHANGE EFFORTS OFTEN FAIL
Source : http://www.trimitra.com/articles/change.html


If one has observed and analysed Indonesian organizations in the past decades, one cannot but conclude that the amount of changes in organizations has grown tremendously over the past decade. Powerful “macro” forces are at work and these forces may grow even stronger over the next few decades.

As a results more and more organizations will be pushed to increase efficiency, improve the quality of products & services, locate new opportunities for growth, and increase productivity.

To-date, major change efforts have helped some Indonesian organizations adapt significantly to shifting conditions, have improved the competitive standing of others and have positioned a few for a far better future. But in too many cases the improvements have been disappointing and the damage has been appalling, with wasted resources and burnout, scared, or frustrated employees.

To some degree, the downside of change is inevitable. Whenever people are forced to adjust to shifting conditions, pain is ever present. But the significant amount of waste and agony we have witnessed in the past decade is avoidable.

A lot of errors have been, the most common of which are:

• Attempting too little too late or too much too soon,
• Allowing too much complacency,
• Failing to create efficient powerful guiding coalition,
• Underestimating the vision,
• Permitting obstacles to block the new vision,
• Failing to create short-term gains,
• Declaring victory too soon,
• Neglecting to anchor changes firmly in the corporate culture.

In many instances, above errors have resulted in the following consequences:

• New strategies are not implemented well,
• Downsizing does not get costs under control,
• Re-engineering takes too long and costs too much,
• Quality programs do not deliver the hoped-for results,
• Acquisitions don’t achieve the expected synergies.

The errors and consequences are not inevitable. With awareness and the proper competencies, they can be avoided or at least greatly minimized. The key lies in:

• understanding why organizations resist needed change,
• understanding what exactly is the multistage process that can overcome destructive inertia,
• and, most of all, having the required competencies to lead and drive that process in a socially healthy way.

If one has observed and analysed Indonesian organizations in the past decades, one cannot but conclude that the amount of changes in organizations has grown tremendously over the past decade. Powerful “macro” forces are at work and these forces may grow even stronger over the next few decades. As a results more and more organizations will be pushed to increase efficiency, improve the quality of products & services, locate new opportunities for growth, and increase productivity.

To-date, major change efforts have helped some Indonesian organizations adapt significantly to shifting conditions, have improved the competitive standing of others and have positioned a few for a far better future. But in too many cases the improvements have been disappointing and the damage has been appalling, with wasted resources and burnout, scared, or frustrated employees.