The idea of 'change' affects every business at some point. Whether introducing a new product, adapting to market trends or responding to customer feedback - change is simply a part of doing business. In this week's 100 x podcast, Leon, Dean, and Paul discuss the change equation and how to apply it in your industry.
Change can be incredibly beneficial - helping us grow and take our team to the next level. On the other hand, it also has its challenges, especially for leaders of people who must navigate an ever-changing environment. Using the Change Equation to help ensure you're making the most effective and efficient changes possible can be beneficial.
The Change Equation is an equation used to calculate how successful a change process will be. Executing this equation helps create a strong foundation for implementing positive changes in a timely and cost-effective way while also being able to identify possible problems before they become more significant issues. They are many models used in change management. We use a formula similar to the Beckhard-Harris example, which considers Dissatisfaction, vision, and the natural next steps to provide the least resistance.
Here's an example of how the equation looks:
Change = D X V X N > Resistance
The first side considers Dissatisfaction with the status quo (D), which refers to the current state of affairs and what you may be dissatisfied with. A vision of the future (V) is the desired outcome that you want to reach. Natural Next Steps (N) indicates creating an action plan to move from the current state to the desired effect to overcome Dissatisfaction and make this vision happen.
By looking at each of these variables and how they interact, it becomes easier to create an effective change equation.