The heart of change : real-life stories of how people change their organizations

For individuals in every walk of life and in every stage of change, this compact, no-nonsense book captures both the heart--and the "how"--of successful change. Organizations are forced to change faster and more radically than ever. How are companies faring in meeting these challenges--and what can we learn from their experiences? In this powerful follow-up book--organized around Leading Change's revolutionary eight-step change process--Kotter and co-author Dan Cohen reveal the results of their research in over 100 organizations in the midst of large-scale change. What they found may surprise you. Although most organizations believe change happens by making people think differently--Kotter and Cohen say the key lies more in making them feel differently. They introduce a new dynamic--"see-feel-change"--that sparks and fuels action by showing people potent reasons for change that charge their emotions. Through true stories from real people, the authors present a play-by-play of challenges encountered, mistakes made, and lessons learned through each of the eight steps of change--and offer tips and tools readers can apply within their own organizations. Why is organizational change so hard? Because in order to make any transformation successful, you must change more than just the structure and operations of an organizationyou need to change peoples behavior. And that is never easy. The Heart of Change is your guide to helping people think and feel differently in order to meet your shared goals. According to bestselling author and renowned leadership expert John Kotter and coauthor Dan Cohen, this focus on connecting with peoples emotions is what will spark the behavior change and actions that lead to success. The Heart of Change is the engaging and essential complement to John Kotters international bestseller Leading Change. Building off of Kotters revolutionary eight-step process, this book vividly illustrates how large-scale business change can work. With real-life stories of people in organizations, the authors show how teams and individuals get motivated and activated to overcome obstacles to changeand produce spectacular results. Kotter and Cohen argue that change initiatives often fail because leaders rely too exclusively on data and analysis to get buy-in from their teams instead of creatively showing or doing something that appeals to their emotions and inspires them to spring into action. They call this the see-feel-change dynamic, and it is crucial for the success of any true organizational transformation. Refreshingly clear and eminently practical, The Heart of Change is required reading for anyone facing change and looking to build their leadership skills. Published by Harvard Business Review Press. CONTENTS......Page 6 PREFACE......Page 10 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 14 INTRODUCTION The Heart of Change......Page 20 STEP 1 Increase Urgency......Page 34 STEP 2 Build the Guiding Team......Page 56 STEP 3 Get the Vision Right......Page 80 STEP 4 Communicate for Buy-In......Page 102 STEP 5 Empower Action......Page 122 STEP 6 Create Short-Term Wins......Page 144 STEP 7 Don’t Let Up......Page 162 STEP 8 Make Change Stick......Page 180 CONCLUSION We See, We Feel, We Change......Page 198 STORY INDEX......Page 206 ABOUT THE AUTHORS......Page 208 John Kotter and co-author Dan Cohen delve deeper into the subject of change to get to the heart of how change actually happens. Through real-life stories from people in the trenches, in all kinds of organizations, the authors attack the fundamental problem that underlies every major transformation: How do you go beyond simply getting your message across to truly changing people's behavior? Outlines An Eight-step Program By Which Companies Can Implement Effective Large-scale Change, Noting The Importance Of Shifting Employee Thinking Patterns And Citing The Stories Of More Than 100 Organizations.