Implementation comes LAST

Did you know that there are four phases or stages for effective change success, and Implementation is actually the last stage?

See, part of the reason why so many change initiatives fail, fizzle out, get delayed, or take twice as long to happen is because so often we are starting at the final phase, the phase of Implementation...the phase where important decisions, innovative thinking, and creative problem solving happen.

But the truth is that there are THREE other phases that have to happen before Implementation kicks off in order for you as a leader and as a team to effectively prepare for and execute meaningful, lasting, transformative change - in your life, at your work, and any of those places in-between.

While change is an event, transformation is a mindset: a set of emotions, beliefs, fears, questions. It's why there are four stages to ensure your success.

• Stage 1 starts with gaining awareness and understanding of how you (and others) interpret and approach change.
• Stage 2 then explore how you communicate and share ideas and concerns, gain clarity, and gather information about the change.
• Stage 3 guides you in how to work with each other to spot obstacles, solve big challenges, and start to shift thinking from current ways of knowing and doing to optimized, new, expansive opportunities.

It's only once those foundational pieces are in place can implementation activities - meetings, decisions, design, and execution - begin. Don't short-change the work that is necessary, critical, and extremely valuable to help you actually better prepare for - and then have - a more successful change.

When you're trying to move the needle forward, don't skip the stages that ensure that you are setting the right path toward cultivating change-ready mindsets and teams - by understanding how to navigate when there is uncertainty and outstanding questions, and how to create even whole new ways of thinking and doing.

When those foundational skills are in place, you are then able to take those teams, those ideas, those emotions, and that mindset and apply them toward the crucial conversations and critical decisions that need to happen to successfully implement and celebrate change in your organization.

What phase are you focused on? Have you done the prep work necessary to make the final, implementation phase of your change a success?

If you're not sure, or you'd like to learn more about these phases and how you can better prepare you and your teams for successful, lasting change - whether it's a small change or an entire digital or operational transformation - let's talk. Schedule a call for us to chat to discover what phase you're actually at, and how you can shift and get to that final phase implementation with a ready, resilient, adaptable, confident team.

Image by Wokandapix from Pixabay