Furthermore, research conducted by McKinsey and Company as well as Prosci reveals that 70 percent of transformations change fail. This article addresses 10 tested change management strategies that should be adopted by every organization that is currently implementing transforming.  The first strategy is to identify the need for change and its vision. This means every change that is implemented should have a purpose and there are three main reasons why change is implemented and is to pursue emerging opportunities or to manage threats and improve organization weaknesses. Once the organization is clear on why they need to change then they must formulate a change vision which should be centered on this purpose. For instance, if the change is to take advantage of new emerging market, then the vision can be “ this change will improve our business profit margin by 40%”.  This is how to create a change mindset; employees will not just perceive change in a cynical manner because they will be able to visualize its strategic intent. 

The second strategy is to adopt a suitable change management methodology. Change is complex and to simplify it, organization need to adopt a suitable change model that they will use, some of the commonly used models are ADKAR changer model, PDCA, Kotter’s 8 change model, SOAR, PERMA model, Six sigma and 8Ds amongst others. Identification of change methodology gives everyone a clear process on how the change will be implemented and it will clarify some of their expectations as the change unfolds. The third strategy is to ensure full participation and engagement of employees in the change. The real implementers of change are the people, and they need to be included in change decision making so that they can contribute their ideas and have change ownership. Research indicates that 84% of transformation programs fail due to employee resistance and management behaviour not supporting change. This means to avoid resistance to change it is tactical important to consistently involve employees throughout the change process. The fourth strategy is to ensure full leadership commitment and that happens when you allocate the change roles across all leaders and measure their performance. 

Quite more often leaders tend to abdicate their responsibility in effective management of change and this relapse is contagious because it has a ripple effect in employees’ level of change commitment. One of the recommended leadership commitment tactical approaches that can be used is to include change agendas in executive meeting. The fifth strategy is to start with small initiatives and grow bigger. This means all the change initiatives of any programs should be prioritized and graded to determine which ones can be introduced first and so forth. This concept is related to kaizen concept which emphasize evolutionary change management approach. This simple means it is imperative to prioritize twenty percent of initiatives that will bring eighty percent of the expected results. The sixth strategy is celebrating early change success, and this is how you keep everyone keen to change. The early change success comes from the milestones achieved from the proposed change initiatives. The seventh change management strategy is to communicate change progress throughout the change progress.   Every change should have a vision and this change intention should be communicated consistently from the beginning to the end of the change. The change message should be simple and clear for everyone to understand it.  

Moreover, it is important to be transparent in communicating the change and this means both negative and positive change results should be communicated. In addition, the change champions should create open communication mechanism so that the employees can seek change clarity raise concerns and make recommendations. The eighth change management strategy is continuous monitoring and evaluation of the change program. More often organizations have relapse in monitoring implementation of their change programs and to keep the change momentum, identified change management champions should have a clear change performance measurement, monitoring and evaluation plan. The ninth change strategy is to reinforce the change by adopting new behaviour as standard of practice and standards of operations. The tenth principle is to continuously improve the organization culture and make it agile to respond to future changes.