GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia
Innovation is the key to staying ahead in a competitive market, but making transformative change can be a challenge. Whether it’s a new product or process that needs to be implemented, or a shift in the way an organization does business, the impact of innovation must be felt throughout the organization in order to be successful. This is especially true when the change needs to be implemented at scale.
Organizations can focus on a few key strategies to ensure that adoption of innovation at scale is successful. First, ensure that the organization is well-prepared for the innovation. This includes having the right technology, infrastructure, and training in place to support the change. By investing in the proper resources upfront, the organization is more likely to be successful in implementing the change.
Second, create a culture of innovation. Encourage employees to think outside the box and take risks. This doesn’t mean that all ideas should be given a green light, but it’s important to ensure that employees feel comfortable bringing their ideas forward and that those ideas are given a fair chance to be explored.
Third, ensure that there is clear and effective communication about the innovation. Make sure that everyone in the organization is aware of what the innovation is and how it will affect them. Provide training and resources to support the change, and make sure to solicit feedback from employees to make sure the change is understood and accepted.
Finally, create systems and processes that make it easier to implement the change. This can include automating certain tasks, streamlining existing processes, and providing tools and resources to make the change easier to adopt.
Braden Kelley, author of Charting Change, offers five key findings to help organizations make change stick at scale:
1. Understand the Nature of Change – The first step to making change stick is to understand the nature of change itself. Kelley emphasizes the importance of recognizing that change is a process, not a single event. By recognizing the complexity of change, organizations can better plan for the process and make sure that new initiatives are implemented successfully.
2. Establish a Change Culture – Establishing a culture of change is essential for making change stick. Kelley recommends that organizations create an environment where change is seen as an opportunity rather than a threat, and where employees are encouraged to take risks and experiment.
3. Make Change Visible – To ensure that change takes hold, Kelley advises organizations to make the process of change visible. This could include creating a visual representation of the desired end-state, or using storytelling to communicate the importance of the change.
4. Embrace Adaptive Change – According to Kelley, organizations should be open to making changes along the way and learning from mistakes. By embracing adaptive change, organizations can adjust and adapt as they learn more about their customers, their industry, and the environment.
5. Celebrate Successes – Finally, Kelley suggests that organizations celebrate their successes. Celebrating successes helps to reinforce the desired behavior and can help to motivate employees to continue to innovate.
By following these five key findings and leveraging the tools in the Change Planning Toolkit from the Human-Centered Change methodology, organizations can make sure that their new initiatives are implemented successfully and that change sticks. By understanding the nature of change, establishing a change culture, making change visible, embracing adaptive change, and celebrating successes, organizations can make sure that their innovations are implemented at scale and that change sticks.
Bottom Line: Innovation at scale is a challenge, but it is possible. By taking the right steps to ensure the organization is well-prepared for the change, creating a culture of innovation, and providing clear and effective communication and systems, organizations can make sure that their initiatives for change stick.
Image credit: Pexels
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On Friday I was speaking with my publisher Palgrave Macmillan (now part of 
