Eight-Stage Change Process
Adapted from John P. Kotter (1996) Leading Change
Where is your organization in the change process? Indicate the percent of completion of each stage by placing an X on the continuum nearest the number that most accurately reflects your judgment. The number 1 suggests that very little has been done; the number 5 indicates that work on that stage has been successfully completed.
1. Establishing a Sense of Urgency
•Examining the market and competitive realities
•Identifying and discussing crises, potential crises, or major opportunities.
1 2 3 4 5
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Haven’t begun More than half-way there Successfully completed
2. Creating the Guiding Coalition
•Putting together a group with enough power to lead a change
•Getting the group to work together like a team.
1 2 3 4 5
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Haven’t begun More than half-way there Successfully completed
3. Developing a vision and strategy
•Creating a vision to help direct the change effort.
•Developing strategies for achieving that vision.
1 2 3 4 5
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Haven’t begun More than half-way there Successfully completed
4. Communicating the Change Vision
•Using every vehicle possible to constantly communicate the new vision and strategies
•Having the guiding coalition role model the behavior expected of individuals.
1 2 3 4 5
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Haven’t begun More than half-way there Successfully completed
5. Empowering Broad-Based Action
•Getting rid of obstacles
•Changing systems or structures that undermine the change vision.
•Encouraging risk taking and nontraditional ideas, activities, and actions.
1 2 3 4 5
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Haven’t begun More than half-way there Successfully completed
6. Generating Short-Term Wins
•Planning for visible improvements in performance, or “Wins.”
•Visibly recognizing and rewarding people who made the wins possible.
1 2 3 4 5
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Haven’t begun More than half-way there Successfully completed
7. Consolidating Gains and Producing More Change
•Using increased credibility to change all systems, structures, and policies that don’t fit together and don’t fit the transformation vision.
•Hiring, developing, and promoting people who can implement the change vision.
•Reinvigorating the process with new projects, themes, and change agents.
1 2 3 4 5
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Haven’t begun More than half-way there Successfully completed
8. Anchoring New Approaches in the Culture.
•Creating better performance through customer and productivity-oriented behavior, more and better leadership, and more effective management.
•Articulating the connections between new behaviors and organizational success.
•Developing means to ensure leadership development and succession.
1 2 3 4 5
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Haven’t begun More than half-way there Successfully completed
