- For humane reasons we haven’t actually tried the following science experiment, but it is supposed to work.
- Partially fill a pot with cold water.
- Set it on a stove burner with the setting at low.
- Insert live frog.
- Slowly increase the heat in the pot.
- Note that as the water heats up, the frog’s cold-blooded nature enables it to adjust and continue to be comfortable.
- Frog becomes lethargic and lacks motivation to move – unless you whack the pot and startle it into action.
- Frog dies without attempting escape.
Humans are also very adaptable to difficult situations. Complacency and inertia lead to a lack of urgency. Our behavior continues as before unless something interrupts the pattern. Sometimes we need a “whack on the side of our pot”. Otherwise, committees continue to hold endless meetings without outcomes or expectations. Administrators continue to work on meaningless reports.
Let’s imagine for the moment that you are ready to make a change. As the business owner you’re prepared to begin the process of transitioning your roles and obligations. You’re ready to commit to a process that will enable you to exit your business in a thoughtful, planned way. How do you make it happen? Where do you start?
John Kotter, one of the foremost authorities on change, suggests that there are eight steps to successful negotiation of the change process[1]. Let’s use those as a guide for gearing up to transition or exit from your business, with special emphasis on steps one and six.
1. Create a sense of urgency.
Complacency is your enemy. A sense of urgency is required to break the inertia. When you announce you’re going to make changes, get started right away. Set short-term deadlines and outline actions that need to take place immediately. You, as leader, must be seen to set the pace and the expectations. Remember, you are the one most responsible for making it happen. You are the one who will reap the greatest rewards when the transition is done well, or who will face the worst consequences if it is not. If you don’t set the pace, no one else will do it for you.
Most people can recognize the need for change. They can talk about it over the water cooler, complain about it over a beer or wake up in the middle of the night with vague feelings of unease. But it is leaders who initiate change and push for it to happen. Without that sense of urgency, it’s easy to slide back into old habits, old ways of working.
2. Pull together a guiding team.
You’re going to need people who will support you through the process and execute the actions required to make change happen.
Develop the change vision and strategy.
Look at this from two perspectives – your personal view and that of the company. Create your vision for what you will be doing next, what you want to do and have earned the right to do.
3. Communicate for understanding.
Kotter suggests keeping it simple. Tell a story. Talk about how the change will take place, how it will affect the listeners and their positions, and how they can contribute in a positive way to the end goal.
4. Empower others to act.
The only way to free up your time to work on new priorities is to give away more of your current duties. Remove barriers that prevent people from taking responsibility for getting the job done.
5. Produce short term wins.
Rather than trying to change the world and then celebrating when the job is done, you have to celebrate the initial wins as quickly as possible. Everyone likes to win. To begin, set some relatively easy, measureable goals and publicly recognize those who are responsible for the achievement of those goals. Only add more tasks as you complete the first ones. Begin to show how the small steps lead to the bigger goals. Connect the dots for them. It’s really important to get started. Like riding a bike, it’s easier to change direction if you’re moving.
6. Don’t let up.
If you’ve decided to move forward and make changes, be single-minded in your pursuit of that change. If obstacles get in the way, get around them
7. Create a new culture.
Old habits and traditions die hard. You have to create new traditions, new ways of seeing in order to move forward to create the change that is so important to you.
Now look at your plan for transitioning your business from what it is today to what you want it to be. Are you missing any steps?
