Sustaining Change: Making Sure Improvements Stick
Eldon Kao
Picture taken by me in Florence, Italy. 2014.
It is often tempting to close out projects after the Improve phase as to alleviate the demands of multiple continuous improvement initiatives. However, these initial stages of change are also when the process is most vulnerable if not controlled properly. It is important then to mitigate risk factors and ensure accurate and complete adoption of the changes during this phase. It is not uncommon to hear staff complain about always having changes come down the pipe but then have little to no support on the follow-through. Here are some quick tips to help sustain change and improve culture:
Avoid Sabotage
This occurs when project participants only pay lip service to support change but their actions are contradictory. In order for change to occur and for the full affects to be measured, everyone must be on board. If left unattended, this group will likely become agents of subversion either intentionally or unintentionally. Sabotage is best avoided by tackling all doubters and critics head-on to get full buy-in during the initial stages. The suggestions garnered may alter the project plan for the better.
Training is Key
Ensure that the new process is being implemented correctly by providing adequate training to those involved. No matter how obvious the change, without proper communication, the actions may be lost in translation.
Keep Compliance Level High
This refers to the penetration of the change into the various organizational levels. In order to accurately measure the benefits of the change, there needs to be 100% compliance to the new process. Even if changes are made at the operator level, there needs to be adequate support from upper management in order to maintain compliance.
Monitor Systems Regularly
A formal monitoring plan should be put in place to ensure the new process is performing to expectations. A reoccurring effectiveness review over a stretch period of time is the ultimate indicator of project success. The feedback received here may yield additional revisions to the project plan.