Companies aiming for change concentrate on “task alignment” – reorganizing employee roles, responsibilities, and relationships to solve specific business problems. Task alignment is easiest in small units – a plant, department, or business unit- where goals and tasks are clearly defined. Thus, the chief problem with corporate change is how to promote task-aligned change across many diverse units.
We see that managers at the business unit or plant level can achieve task alignment through a sequence of six overlapping but distinctive steps. This path develops a self-reinforcing cycle of commitment, coordination, and competence. The sequence of steps is important because activities appropriate at one time are often counterproductive if started too early.
Timing is everything in the management of change.
The starting point of any effective change effort is a clearly defined business problem.
Teamwork asks more of employees-so they need more support from management.
The temptation to force newfound insights on the rest of the organisation is great but it only short-circuits change.
