Category Archives: Change

Posted on

Rolling Uphill – Sustaining Change

Leading Change Series - Part IV

by

Leading change is not a fast or easy process, but it is required to sharpen the organizational “saw” through synergy and renewal. It demands the power to stay the course, through setbacks and triumphs, and demonstrate the endurance to achieve results. Change starts with a single step, but that axiom can leave you discouraged when – after step one – you realize there are many more steps to take. You will face roadblocks in the form of people, internal systems, and outside forces. If step one is difficult to take, steps two and onward require even more perseverance and grit. The will to succeed makes the difference between those who initiate change and those who achieve it. Fighting complacency requires constant assessment and coaching.

Sustaining change is a team effort. Succession planning and a culture of learning is the only way to keep rolling uphill.
Posted on

When Change is Values-Deep

Leading Change Series - Part III

by

In every competitive environment, organizations evolve to survive and thrive. Society, Markets, and Warfare are ever-changing and so must those who want to succeed in them. Changing systems is a fight in and of itself. But, what if the change required is deeper than spreadsheets and efficiency reports? What if the organization’s values and behaviors aren’t aligned? I used the word “fight” intentionally. Make no mistake, when change is values-based, you are fighting for the heart and soul of your organization. To create a values-centered change, leaders steer the individual to driving the organization, communicate a clear and collective vision, model and steward the change, and empower their team.

Changing Values Requires Clear and Shared Vision
Posted on

Build Confidence in Change

Leading Change Series - Part II

by

Change is scary; organizations and people are naturally resistant to change. We defer to the sedentary status quo over the risk of growth. Last week, in Part I of our Leading Change Series, we discussed Kurt Lewin’s three steps for organizational change. (If you haven’t read Part I, it is available HERE) Organizations are living, breathing organisms that are comprised of people. A mechanical mindset, fixing a problem by simply uninstalling a piece and reinstalling an updated mechanism, won’t maximize growth. You can’t sustain an effective organization this way, because people are not widgets. Teams pose an agricultural paradigm, not a mechanical one.

Changes of Command often bring a new look to the organization.
Posted on

The Art of Change

Leading Change Series - Part I

by

Leaders and formations in the Army are always changing. With this change in people, comes a new look at the organization. It brings reinvention, breeding adaptability and innovation. Change is healthy, important, and necessary – but leading change also requires art. Dissatisfaction, contempt, and failure, are usually the drivers of change. But, that doesn’t mean everyone in the organization will view circumstances through that same lens. Change is disequilibrium caused by disconfirming information. Kurt Lewin’s Change Theory and John Kotter’s 8 Step Change Model, provide leaders a lens through which to view and understand what it takes to successfully lead change.

Maintaining the status quo is comfortable. Leading change requires getting down “in the mud” – are you up for the task?
Posted on

4 Tips for Transitioning Organizations

Originally Published on From the Green Notebook

by

The U.S. Military is a leadership laboratory to grow yourself and your team. Its personnel system, by design, promotes leaders out of position and across organizations. Controlled change breeds innovation and progress. But, change can also bring discomfort and anxiety. Fear not – here are some steps you can take to transition well and establish yourself in a new organization.

A Change of Command is just one of many transitions in the United States Army.