More Information: https://flevy.com/browse/flevypro/8-levers-to-change-management-3847 Most Transformation initiatives fail to achieve their anticipated objectives. Change Management is all about engaging and rallying people — at all levels in the organization — to make the transition and sustain that change. It is critical to ensure that the entire workforce is eager and ready to embrace the required new behaviors. More often than not, the technical side of a change initiative is well planned, but it’s the implementation part that fails — particularly, changing the mindsets and behaviors of the entire workforce to enable change to stick. Managing change is not an occasional affair; it is an iterative process that works on motivating human behavior to accept and adjust to a desired state of mind. The process is naturally evolving as it adapts in accordance with the feedback from the people. Change Management demands a thorough yet organized approach to enable the “people side” of change to work — essential for accommodating and sustaining Business Transformations. This entails assisting people incorporate new mindsets, processes, policies, practices, and behaviors. A methodical approach to make the entire workforce accept and support change constitutes 8 critical levers: Defining the Change Creating a Shared Need Developing a Shared Vision Leading the Change Engaging and Mobilizing Stakeholders Creating Accountability Aligning Systems and Structures Sustaining the Change Got a question about this presentation? Email us at support@flevy.com.

1. 1/15/2021 The 8 Most Critical Levers to Pull to Manage & Sustain Change | by Mark Bridges | Medium
https://mark-bridges.medium.com/the-8-most-critical-levers-to-pull-to-manage-sustain-change-8584f8a455ec 1/6
Mark Bridges
Follow 56 Followers About
The 8 Most Critical Levers to Pull to Manage &
Sustain Change
Mark Bridges Jul 7, 2019 · 5 min read
Open in app

2. 1/15/2021 The 8 Most Critical Levers to Pull to Manage & Sustain Change | by Mark Bridges | Medium
https://mark-bridges.medium.com/the-8-most-critical-levers-to-pull-to-manage-sustain-change-8584f8a455ec 2/6
Most Transformation initiatives fail to achieve their anticipated objectives.
Change Management is all about engaging and rallying people — at all levels in the
organization — to make the transition and sustain that change. It is critical to ensure
that the entire workforce is eager and ready to embrace the required new behaviors.
More often than not, the technical side of a change initiative is well planned, but it’s the
implementation part that fails — particularly, changing the mindsets and behaviors of
the entire workforce to enable change to stick.
Managing change is not an occasional affair; it is an iterative process that works on
motivating human behavior to accept and adjust to a desired state of mind. The process
is naturally evolving as it adapts in accordance with the feedback from the people.
Change Management demands a thorough yet organized approach to enable the “people
side” of change to work — essential for accommodating and sustaining Business
Transformations. This entails assisting people incorporate new mindsets, processes,
policies, practices, and behaviors.
A methodical approach to make the entire workforce accept and support change
constitutes 8 critical levers:
1. Defining the Change
2. Creating a Shared Need
3. Developing a Shared Vision
4. Leading the Change
5. Engaging and Mobilizing Stakeholders
6. Creating Accountability
7. Aligning Systems and Structures
8. Sustaining the Change

3. 1/15/2021 The 8 Most Critical Levers to Pull to Manage & Sustain Change | by Mark Bridges | Medium
https://mark-bridges.medium.com/the-8-most-critical-levers-to-pull-to-manage-sustain-change-8584f8a455ec 3/6
Now, let’s discuss the first 4 levers in detail.
1. Defining the Change
The first step entails outlining the rationale, scope, and results of the change initiative
for the enterprise, key departments, and roles. There is a need to define critical
elements, including the requirements from the initiative, the execution planning, and
the adjustments needed to encourage people to work better.
The project sponsors need to clearly outline the essence of the proposed Transformation
initiative, to realistically embed Change Management into the design of the program,
and develop effective Change Management plans. An initial baseline of the expected
effect of the program on people should be performed. The baseline also helps analyze
the impact of the change program — in terms of skills inventory, head-count indications,
adjustments in accountabilities and relationships, shifts in incentives and pay structures,
and future learning needs.
2. Creating a Shared Need

4. 1/15/2021 The 8 Most Critical Levers to Pull to Manage & Sustain Change | by Mark Bridges | Medium
https://mark-bridges.medium.com/the-8-most-critical-levers-to-pull-to-manage-sustain-change-8584f8a455ec 4/6
Once the change and its impact has been delineated, the next thing to do is to create a
shared understanding of the rationale for Transformation across the organization. To
create a shared need for the Transformation endeavor, the change sponsor needs to
build awareness of the necessity for change amongst the senior team, key stakeholders,
and the entire organization; demonstrate to the people the benefits of change; and set
up a feedback mechanism across the organization. The alignment afforded by
developing a shared need for change helps build a strong footing for Transformation.
3. Developing a Shared Vision
An essential element of implementing transformation entails delineating a clear vision
that outlines critical actions and the anticipated outcomes. It helps in encouraging and
involving the workforce in the Transformation initiative, giving them a sense of purpose
by becoming a part of something bigger. The vision of the organization after
Transformation should be coherent with the company values and mission.
4. Leading the Change
This lever entails developing change leadership and implementation skills needed to
drive and enable sustainable change. Engagement and commitment of senior leaders is
essential for leading change. They are responsible for planning their and the entire
workforce’s actions, demonstrating or role modeling the new mindsets and actions,
designating program sponsors — e.g., business unit leaders who are enthusiastic about
the Transformation initiative and also act as change agents — motivating others to
support transformation, and setting up a road map for the change leaders to steer the
organization to achieve the anticipated performance milestones.
Interested in learning more about these levers to Change Management? You can
download an editable PowerPoint on 8 Levers to Change Management here on the Flevy
documents marketplace.
Do You Find Value in This Framework?
You can download in-depth presentations on this and hundreds of similar business
frameworks from the FlevyPro Library. FlevyPro is trusted and utilized by 1000s of
management consultants and corporate executives. Here’s what some have to say:
“My FlevyPro subscription provides me with the most popular frameworks and decks in
demand in today’s market. They not only augment my existing consulting and coaching

5. 1/15/2021 The 8 Most Critical Levers to Pull to Manage & Sustain Change | by Mark Bridges | Medium
https://mark-bridges.medium.com/the-8-most-critical-levers-to-pull-to-manage-sustain-change-8584f8a455ec 5/6
offerings and delivery, but also keep me abreast of the latest trends, inspire new products
and service offerings for my practice, and educate me in a fraction of the time and money of
other solutions. I strongly recommend FlevyPro to any consultant serious about success.”
– Bill Branson, Founder at Strategic Business Architects
“As a niche strategic consulting firm, Flevy and FlevyPro frameworks and documents are an
on-going reference to help us structure our findings and recommendations to our clients as
well as improve their clarity, strength, and visual power. For us, it is an invaluable resource
to increase our impact and value.”
– David Coloma, Consulting Area Manager at Cynertia Consulting
“As a small business owner, the resource material available from FlevyPro has proven to be
invaluable. The ability to search for material on demand based our project events and client
requirements was great for me and proved very beneficial to my clients. Importantly, being
able to easily edit and tailor the material for specific purposes helped us to make
presentations, knowledge sharing, and toolkit development, which formed part of the
overall program collateral. While FlevyPro contains resource material that any consultancy,
project or delivery firm must have, it is an essential part of a small firm or independent
consultant’s toolbox.”
– Michael Duff, Managing Director at Change Strategy (UK)
“FlevyPro has been a brilliant resource for me, as an independent growth consultant, to
access a vast knowledge bank of presentations to support my work with clients. In terms of
RoI, the value I received from the very first presentation I downloaded paid for my
subscription many times over! The quality of the decks available allows me to punch way
above my weight — it’s like having the resources of a Big 4 consultancy at your fingertips at
a microscopic fraction of the overhead.”
– Roderick Cameron, Founding Partner at SGFE Ltd
“Several times a month, I browse FlevyPro for presentations relevant to the job challenge I
have (I am a consultant). When the subject requires it, I explore further and buy from the
Flevy Marketplace. On all occasions, I read them, analyze them. I take the most relevant and

6. 1/15/2021 The 8 Most Critical Levers to Pull to Manage & Sustain Change | by Mark Bridges | Medium
https://mark-bridges.medium.com/the-8-most-critical-levers-to-pull-to-manage-sustain-change-8584f8a455ec 6/6
applicable ideas for my work; and, of course, all this translates to my and my clients’
benefits.”
– Omar Hernán Montes Parra, CEO at Quantum SFE
Change Management Transformation Leading Change Organizational Alignment
About Help Legal
Get the Medium app