One of the sacred principles of change management is “stakeholder involvement,” i.e. engaging and including people who will be affected by the change in the process of making it happen. GE’s well known “change acceleration model,” or CAP, refers to it as “mobilizing commitment.” Kotter’s eight-step framework for change emphasizes doing this through “building a coalition” and “enlisting a volunteer army.” McKinsey has even done research to quantify the number of people who should be involved and concluded that at least 7% of employees need to own aspects of a major transformation.
Leading a Midsize Business Through Change
Getting large numbers of people involved in change efforts is a critical element in change management. It widens the aperture of perspectives, generates a broader array of solutions, and increases the commitment that people have to doing things differently. But expecting a broad group of stakeholders to all put aside their personal and functional agendas for the greater good may be unrealistic. No matter how much of a “big hat” people will put on, it’s human nature to view decisions through the lens of whether they will be good or bad for individuals and their teams. This can be especially difficult in mid-size companies with a culture of belonging. If you are contemplating major change in your mid-sized company — and you have a culture of widespread engagement — this article covers a couple of principles to keep in mind as you navigate change.