What Is the Change Acceleration Process?
The change acceleration process encompasses a strategic and disciplined approach to ushering in transformative change by utilizing evidence-based practices from behavioral science to achieve results more quickly and sustainably. At Lotis Blue, we pinpoint the specific strategies necessary for successful change adoption based on your organization’s unique needs. We craft a detailed and strategic blueprint to align, equip, and sustain performance by:
Creating confidence by linking the vision for change with a clear design and plan for execution and defining how organizations, teams, and leaders must operate differently to capture the expected value.
Addressing psychological needs that influence whether a change is embraced or rejected, and tailoring change management tactics to anticipated barriers through in-depth psychographic-based analyses of stakeholder needs and motives.
Establishing a common governance structure by creating an integrated transformation office that aligns implementation planning, change execution, change management, and risk management.
Developing measurement systems and feedback loops to realize the full potential of the change by adjusting processes, technologies, and ways of working based on data and feedback.
By instituting change acceleration processes, Lotis Blue empowers companies to mitigate disruptions, bolster employee buy-in, and expedite progress toward objectives with greater efficacy. It is a comprehensive strategy that goes beyond communications, focusing on operationalizing change through implementation and optimizing performance as new ways of working become embedded within the culture. This ensures that the organization proactively manages change to secure a competitive edge in an ever-evolving marketplace.
"Rather than selling people change, you are better off identifying the reasons for their resistance and addressing those." - Kurt Lewin
Change Management Tools
Change management tools and techniques grounded in behavioral science practice form the foundation of our approach. Our “Align, Equip, Sustain” method helps organizations navigate complex changes with confidence by focusing on three key areas:
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- Aligning people with clear and committed direction
- Equipping them with the necessary skills and capabilities to close gaps and meet future demands
- Sustaining the transformation by reinforcing behaviors and continuously adapting processes to ensure long-term success
This approach addresses three of the most common pitfalls in transformational change:
Pitfall:
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- Insufficient emphasis on clarifying the desired future
- Focus on gaining compliance rather than commitment
- Appealing only to the head (data and facts) rather than the heart (motivation)
Solution:
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- Ensure clarity around the business case
- Secure commitment to the transformation vision
Pitfall:
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- Lack of clarity about what is expected of people (i.e., “the deal”)
- Inexperienced leaders and managers in leading change
- Inadequate investment in building new capabilities and developing new skills
Solution:
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- Design and implement new processes and work systems
- Build manager and leader skills to more effectively lead change
- Train staff in new ways of working
Pitfall:
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- Viewing change as a sprint rather than a marathon
- Focusing only on problems without recognizing successes
- Failure to implement management tools that maintain momentum
Solution:
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- Identify and celebrate wins
- Measure results and continuously improve
- Embed new ways of working in the culture
The Transformation Office is Central to the Change Acceleration Process
A Transformation Office serves as the “mission control center” of the change acceleration process, bridging the gap between different workstreams, leadership, and key stakeholders. This centralized hub ensures the seamless orchestration of change initiatives, aligning and equipping leaders and the organization along the way, while locking in and optimizing progress.
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- Appropriate focus on building the most critical capabilities to achieve the company’s vision and strategy.
- Efficient coordination of ongoing and future growth initiatives.
- Effective governance and accountability structures, including milestone-driven reporting, risk mitigation, and change management oversight.
- Project management and enterprise change oversight that allows senior leaders to focus on advancing strategic initiatives rather than administrative tasks.
The Transformation Office offers a strategic vantage point for business alignment, acting not only as a facilitator of change but as a compass guiding the organization forward with focus and purpose. It ensures the change acceleration process is not just implemented but woven into the fabric of the organization, fostering an environment where adaptability and resilience are central to the culture.
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- A Transformation Office Dashboard: Provides a snapshot of each program’s status, both overall and at the project level, along with upcoming milestones, and potential risks.
- Plan Progress Problems Document: Offers a high-level update on each initiative’s plan, progress, and any risks and mitigations.
- Initiative Spotlight: Highlights a specific initiative, detailing its progress, critical decisions, and upcoming milestones.
This strategic orchestration of change initiatives, coupled with a commitment to the company’s vision, ensures that the transformation is not only effective but also lasting.
Insights
Overcoming Resistance to Change
Mitigating resistance is central to our change acceleration process. We recognize that loss – whether related to control, status, routines, or comfort – is a powerful psychological force that drives reluctance among team members.
Listening and understanding how loss is conceptualized, and developing strategies to balance losses with gains, play a crucial role in our process. Empathy allows for open channels of communication that acknowledge and validate the experiences and emotions of those involved.
Organizations that successfully implement change effectively operationalize it. For change to succeed, employees must buy in and move toward the desired future state. When they see value in the future state, they are more likely to embrace it both psychologically and behaviorally. If they do not perceive value, change management efforts will have limited effect.
Operationalizing change is about creating that value and helping employees believe that long-term gains outweigh short-term frustrations or losses. Initially, employees may perceive only loss; effective change management helps them see future gains and navigate through short-term setbacks.
Through deliberate and thoughtful engagement, resistance becomes less of a barrier and more a stepping stone, providing valuable insights that enrich the change process and turn potential obstacles into opportunities for growth and unity.
“The psychological pain of loss is twice as powerful as that of the gains.”
- D. Kahneman & A. Tversky
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