Introduction

Let s review where you are now. You took steps to understand the current business situation. You then defined your change management objectives. Then strike forces defined, documented, and voted upon opportunities for change and work improvement. After review by the change steering committees, mini-business cases were prepared, the opportunities organized and sequenced, and a table prepared that consisted of an implementation timeline. Up until the middle of the last chapter, focus was on analysis. Now it is on implementation. There is a fundamental lesson learned.

When attention moves from analysis of what to do to issues on how to carry out change, you are on the road to success.

Now that you have a table of what to implement, can t you just go ahead and implement. It would be nice to think that, but in real life things are not that simple. You have to determine the sequencing and organization of the Quick Hits and long-term change. This is the subject of the change implementation strategy. With this in hand, you can develop a detailed project plan for change (Chapter 10). Then you can implement.

What happens if you rush into implementation?

• You encounter unanticipated problems. The solution of these diverts you from the change and slows down the change effort.

• You fail to overcome pockets of resistance. Queen and king bees may yet rise up to resist change.

• Management expectations are now raised to such a high level that it is impossible to satisfy them. Thus, management...