Summary of Harvard Business Review's HBR's 10 Must Reads on Change Management

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

Book Preview:

#1 HBR’s 10 must reads on change management is a list of books that will help you better understand and deal with change in your life and work.

#2 The most general lesson to be learned from the more successful cases is that the change process goes through a series of phases that take a considerable length of time. Skipping stages creates only the illusion of speed, never producing a satisfying result.

#3 The first phase of a transformation is when some individuals or groups start to look hard at a company’s competitive situation, market position, technological trends, and financial performance. They then find ways to communicate this information broadly and dramatically.

#4 The urgency rate is when about 75 percent of a company’s management is convinced that business as usual is completely unacceptable. Anything less can produce serious problems later on in the transformation process.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Oct 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9798350039214

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights on Harvard Business Review's HBRs 10 Must Reads on Change Management

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

HBR’s 10 must reads on change management is a list of books that will help you understand change, its causes, and its effects.

#2

The most general lesson to be learned from the more successful cases is that the change process goes through a series of stages that take a considerable length of time. Skipping stages creates only the illusion of speed, but never produces a satisfying result.

#3

The first phase of a transformation is when some individuals or groups begin to look hard at a company’s competitive situation, market position, technological trends, and financial performance. They then find ways to communicate this information broadly and dramatically.

#4

The urgency rate is when about 75 percent of a company’s management is convinced that business as usual is completely unacceptable. Anything less can produce serious problems later on in the transformation process.

#5

A major renewal program needs a strong guiding coalition to make progress. This group should consist of members who are not part of senior management, as they will be outside of the normal hierarchy by definition.

#6

In every successful transformation, the guiding coalition develops a picture of the future that is relatively easy to communicate and appeals to customers, stockholders, and employees. Without a clear vision, the reengineering project in the accounting department, the new 360-degree performance appraisal from the human resources department, and the plant’s quality program will not add up in a meaningful way.

#7

The fourth phase of transformation is to communicate the vision to employees. This is difficult if the short-term sacrifices include job losses. Without credible communication, employees will not make sacrifices, even if they are unhappy with the status quo.

#8

The most successful cases of major change I have seen have been those in which the executives involved were able to walk the talk. They consciously attempted to become a living symbol of the new corporate culture. This is not easy, but it can be done.

#9

In the first half of a transformation, no organization has the momentum, power, or time to get rid of all obstacles. But the big ones must be confronted and removed. If the blocker is a person, it is important that he or she be treated fairly and in a way that is consistent with the new vision.

#10

The key to creating short-term wins is to actively seek ways to obtain clear performance improvements, establish goals, and achieve the objectives. Without short-term wins, many people give up or join the ranks of those who are resisting change.

#11

Leaders of successful transformations use the credibility afforded by short-term wins to tackle even bigger problems. They go after systems and structures that are not consistent with the transformation vision, and they promote and hire new people who support the transformation.

#12

Change can be institutionalized when it becomes the way we do things around here. To make this happen, companies must show people how the new approaches, behaviors, and attitudes have helped improve performance.

#13

Turnaround leaders must design and run an effective persuasion campaign that begins weeks or months before the actual turnaround plan is set in concrete. They must convince people that the organization is on its deathbed, and that radical changes are required if it is to survive and thrive.

#14

When a company is teetering on the brink of ruin, most turnaround leaders revamp strategy, shift around staff, and root out inefficiencies. Then they wait patiently for the payoff, only to suffer bitter disappointment as the expected improvements fail to materialize.

#15

To bring about change, you must first