Why+Change+Can+Fail

Many managers and employees have experienced the struggles, success, failures, and frustrations that go along with changing the way the business is done. A study by [|Tower Watson](2013) found only 25% of change management initiatives are successful over the long term. Does this mean that 75% failed?

[|Cynicism about organisational change]which combines pessimism about the likelihood of success with blame of those responsible, can have negative impact on commitment, satisfaction and motivation of employees. Cynicism about change involves a loss of faith in leaders of change, history of unsuccessful change attempts, misunderstanding and limited tolerance for change.

Therefore managing and minimising cynicism about change could be a critical success factor and should focus on:
 * 1) keeping people involved in making decisions that affect them;
 * 2) keeping people informed;
 * 3) enhancing the effectiveness of timing and keeping surprises to the minimum;
 * 4) enhancing credibility;
 * 5) publicising successful changes; and
 * 6) seeing changes from employees perspective and providing opportunities to express their feelings.

[|Kotter (1995, p.60)] said : “... critical mistakes in any of the phases [//of transformation//] can have a devastating impact, slowing momentum and negating hard-won gains. Perhaps because we have relatively little experience in renewing organisations, even very capable people often make at least one big error”.


 * REFERENCES **

[|Kotter, J.P. (1995). “Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail”, //Harvard Business Review,// March – April 1995.]

[|Reichers, A.E., Wanous J.P., Austin, J.T. (1997). "Understanding and managing cynicism about organizational change", //The Academy of Management Executive//; Vol. 11 No.1, pp 48-59]

Tower Watson (2013) []