If you’re frustrated that change efforts in your organization are taking too long, are too difficult, or are too often ineffective, this book is for you. Leading change expert Jake Jacobs shares eight failsafe ways to make any change initiative successful in his latest book, Leverage Change: 8 Ways to Achieve Faster, Easier, Better Results.
Jacobs explains that leverage is about getting more done with fewer hassles, headaches, and problems. It is important to leverage change instead of just managing it. He defines the eight levers as:
- Pay Attention to Continuity—Don’t focus solely on the change; remind people what will stay the same so they have something to build on.
- Think and Act as if the Future Were Now—Make a plan but don’t get stuck in the planning phase. Move to implementation quickly.
- Design it Yourself—Don’t rely on what worked for another company; chart your own course of action to meet your unique challenges.
- Create a Common Database—Share information widely so people at all levels have enough data to make wise decisions that will positively impact change.
- Start with Impact, Follow the Energy—Start your work where you will have the biggest positive impact, then share that success to build energy for the entire initiative.
- Develop a Future People Want to Call Their Own—Make sure every individual, team, and department understands specifically what the change means to them so they can be committed to the change.
- Find Opportunities for People to Make a Meaningful Difference—Encourage people to look beyond what has always been done in the past to explore new, different, and better ways to get the job done.
- Make Change Work Part of Daily Work—Change is constant, so don’t think of it as something to do in addition to your job. Make it part of the daily routine.
Jacobs explains how to apply each of these levers and includes a list of success criteria to consider as well. The book includes 44 case studies to show how companies put these levers into action. It’s truly a guidebook for making change an easier process for everyone.
For more information about Jake Jacobs, visit www.jakejacobsconsulting.com
To hear host Chad Gordon interview Jake Jacobs, listen to the Leaderchat podcast and subscribe today.
About the Author
More Content by Vicki Stanford
