Why did that idea flop?

Why do some ideas lead to sustainable change while others fall flat? Three change management mistakes are often to blame. Here’s how to keep them from getting in the way of your goals:

1. Don’t overlook the importance of changing both knowledge and behavior. Large group lectures, email updates, and training materials may transmit knowledge, but behavior change is best affected through interpersonal, face-to-face communication and feedback that persuades people, moves them from decision to action, and reinforces their efforts.

2. Don’t expect everyone to embrace change the same way. People adopt change at different rates. Recognizing these differences and planning accordingly can be helpful (e.g., identifying early adopters and opinion leaders and working to gain their support at the outset).

3. Don’t underestimate the need for a change agent. Successful change efforts depend on having a change agent who is able to diagnose the problem with the status quo, help develop a vision of the preferred reality, cultivate tension between “what is” and “what could be,” translate the organization’s intent into action, and stabilize the change.

Read the full FPM article: “Why Did That Idea Flop?”