The year is half over. Is your big, high-stakes strategy going too slowly?

CEOs and boards often complain that their big idea isn’t moving fast enough.

• “We’re not making enough headway.”
• “We’re spinning our wheels.”
• “I had hoped we could have accomplished much more by now.”
• “We’re getting stuck.”

When the stakes are high, it’s understandable that you want to see results quickly.  There may be a lot on the line: financial consequences, customer relationships, and even your personal reputation. 

At this point, many leaders start driving their strategy like maniacs: 

• “We need a new incentive plan. Let’s get them in their wallets!”
• “Cut the red tape. Do whatever it takes to push this through.”
• “If we don’t see progress soon, heads will roll.”
• “Stop everything. We need a complete overhaul. This isn’t working.”

Before you drive your strategy through a wall or blow everything up, step back and ask:

Was I expecting a CHANGE?  Or a TRANSITION?

In your detailed spreadsheets and timelines, have you underestimated what people will actually require to leave their old ways of doing things and embrace a new one?

As organizational expert William Bridges framed it:

· Change happens TO us, even if we don’t agree with it. It could be a new set of tools or processes, a new regulation, a merger or acquisition, or a new market entry. It is external.

· Transition is INTERNAL It’s what happens within our minds as we deal with change. Change can happen very quickly, but transition occurs more slowly, and it is all about mindset.

Every single person you expect to take action to make your new strategy a success will have to undergo a transition. Some will shift faster than others, but everyone has to go through it— including you.

It can be frustrating when you don’t see results fast enough.

It takes courage to challenge your thinking about what might need to change.

But you don’t have to blow things up.

The takeaway? Sometimes, you need to slow down to go faster. 

Fast Track Tip

If the idea of “change versus transition” resonates, I recommend that you leverage the  Bridges Transition Model to help people move forward. The model frames three phases of transition every human being has to go through when confronted with change:

• Endings (about letting go of the old):  People have to accept that something is ending before they can accept something new. You can help at this stage by educating people about why the old way is no longer effective and how they might personally benefit from a change.
• The Neutral Zone (the bridge between the old and the new): In this phase, people are less attached to the old, but it is still not clear what this “new” phase is all about. Though they may still come across as skeptical, people in this neutral phase start to listen a little bit more easily. They start to understand the outcome and their role in it. (But don’t expect them to tell you that they are excited about it yet!)
• New Beginnings (where people have built new skills and can work in new ways): In this phase, they will start to see early wins, and people are likely to feel a little relief, become more open to listening and learning, and bring others along with them.

Now consider: 

· Which transition phase are YOU in personally? 

· What about your leadership team? Your board? 

· What phase are your managers and front line going through? 

· Beyond your own organization: what about partners, suppliers, customers, and members? 

Share this model with your team and be vulnerable. Explain your own journey through this process nad the reasons you become comfortable movign from one step to another. Once a quarter, check in with the team and use this model to help them

talk about the challenges they are dealing with.  

 Let me know how it goes! I welcome hearing your thoughts and learnings 

– Susan 

This article is part of my blog, “Fast Track Insights,” providing practical ideas and tips for getting results faster, whether you are driving a new strategy (or getting one back on track). I want to help you avoid common mistakes. 

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To learn more about  the De-Risk System for Impact℠ workshops and custom engagements, as well as my upcoming book, explore my website at www.gotomarketimpact.com, or message me at susan.schramm@gotomarketimpact.com.