Leading Change

Kotter begins by emphasizing the need for change, noting experts’ predictions of how the professional world will continue to increase in volatility. Change is difficult to enact, though, and Kotter provides eight common errors he has seen in attempts at organizational change. First, complacency can create a kind of inertia, leaving employees more inclined to maintain their current traditions rather than adapt to a new methodology or organizational structure. Second, change requires a strong coalition of leaders, all of whom need to be dedicated to enacting change at all levels of organization, yet leadership often is lacking or fails to reach certain levels. Third, change cannot occur without strong vision, yet many organizations exhaust too much effort on details without clarifying their broader goals. Fourth, organizations often fail to communicate their vision accurately. Fifth, many organizations allow obstacles to hinder change, rather than confronting obstacles outright. Sixth, companies fail to reinforce short-term wins, never celebrating the steps toward change. Seventh, businesses tend to declare victory at the first sign of success, which often leads to temporary change, after which employees quickly return to tradition. Eighth, even when change is initially successful, businesses may fail to instill the new practices and ideology into company culture; this particular error can lead to employees misdirecting their perception of the change, resulting in a failure to sustain long-term improvement.