Managers know they need growth to survive—but innovation isn’t easy. In this Harvard Management Update article, HBS professor Clayton Christensen and co-authors detail the six keys to creating new-growth businesses.
Adding curiosity to a challenging interaction can bridge differences, repair relationships and lead to greater understanding.
Imagine you’re a frontline employee and you receive word that you’re about to participate in a major change management initiative. You’ve performed your job a certain way for years, you’re quite good at doing it that way, and now your boss tells you that the processes that give you comfort and accomplishment are going to be upended. Whether it’s new technology or new processes or some new operational philosophy, you will no longer be able to do your job the same way.
At some point, every leader is faced with the challenge of having to rally others around a journey of uncertain change. For most, that challenge is daunting and often goes poorly. Many leaders try to over-sell positive aspects of change, manipulating information and downplaying risks. Others inspire dread with messages of fear. And some just resort to “announcing” change while communicating nothing helpful. Research shows that around 70% of organizational change fails for a host of reasons. How leaders build the commitment of those who must embrace change is pivotal to beating the odds and successfully leading major change.
