Lean Change Management: Innovative practices for managing organizational change

by Jason Little

Kotter’s Eight Steps: Think of Kotter’s eight steps as the list of ingredients that go into a successful change recipe. But don’t go through the steps in a linear way like an actual recipe. Instead, treat them as a guide. A guide that helps you navigate the messy process that change really is. I use Kotter’s framework as a checklist of sorts. I want to make sure I’m addressing the concerns of all eight steps through a variety of methods and practices. McKinsey’s 7S: McKinsey’s 7S is a powerful framework I use to map out the dynamic elements of change and anticipate the ripples each change will create. I use this framework in a stealth way. When someone recommends we need to change a process, I now ask, “If we change this, what other areas of the organization might be affected?”