Going through an organizational change is never easy. But sometimes
getting organizational buy-in for the necessary change is even
harder than the change itself. You know the change is
necessary, but how do you convince your key stakeholders?
Making a Compelling Case for Change, part of the
Change Without Migraines series, outlines some simple
steps to help you convince stakeholders that the change is
important. Without that support, the book argues, change can become
cumbersome and much more challenging than necessary.
The guide first outlines the five main things that can hurt your
case and then quickly moves on to the four critical questions you
must ask when making a case for change:
1. Does your own team feel an urgency to change?
2. Who else must feel an urgency for change?
3. What's the gap between what they see and what you see?
4. How can we make the most compelling case for change?
The author answers each question and provides an Ask
Yourself section, which allows you to personalize this for
your particular organizational situation. Additionally, the
guidebook provides a worksheet you can use and a series of case
studies that help you gain insights to answer a particular
question.
Once you've answered these four questions, the author provides
clues that let you know if you have made that compelling case.
Last, and perhaps most important, this short, 32-page book
recognizes that making a case for change isn't simple, and an
accepting culture is essential. The author acknowledges, however,
that this is not an overnight process and encourages readers to
take it slowly, "read books, visit successful organizations that
are similar to yours, and consider attending training sessions on
culture change in organizations."
This brief booklet provides a first step to the change process. The
good news is you can likely read and digest it in an hour or less,
leaving you the time and energy to get moving on creating your case
for change.
Stephanie Sussan is the former editor of Infoline,
ASTD's premier monthly how-to journal and the current editor of
ASTD's OD/Leadership Network News and ROI Network
News. You can reach her by email at ODLeadernews@astd.org
Publisher Information:
ISBN #: 0975285009
Publisher: Rick Mauer
Price: $8.95
To Order:
Amazon.com