For the past few weeks now, we have been focusing on our series around change within community. If you missed any of the previous posts or want a quick recap, check them out here:

Now that we can better understand and identify our people and how they might handle change, how do we actually drive a change initiative forward in our communities?

Have you ever found yourself wanting to implement some kind of change either in your community or at your place of business and realized you didn’t have the support to make it happen?

Here’s a list of some pretty common change initiatives we’ve seen launch in communities and workplaces:

Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
Sustainability Efforts
Technology Adoption
Health and Wellness Programs
Change in Organizational Structure
Quality Improvement Initiatives
Leadership Development Programs
Community Engagement Initiatives
Work-Life Balance Policies
Cultural Change Initiatives

Have you seen any of these types of change initiatives never really take off? Have they never broken the barrier between dream and ideal, and real change?

The secret to change isn’t really a secret at all. It is, however, systematic and constant, and requires diligence on the part of the “change champion.” Think back to the last time you tried to implement a change. Once you were convinced the change was appropriate and needed to happen, how much time did you spend planning the change – what it would look like, how it would be rolled out, or who was going to coordinate it - before you started to try and convince others?

There have probably been a number of times where someone has responded to one of your questions with, “Well this is something new and we’re not quite sure what to expect. We’ll need to wait and see.” Isn’t that deflating and frustrating? Doesn’t it make you want to say (scream), “Well, you don’t know jack!”

One flaw many of us make when implementing change in our communities is to immediately jump in head first, without giving much thought to what’s below. We get excited about the potential for change. Remember, that you have probably been thinking about the change long before anyone else has. You may be up and around the corner on all that needs to be done and the potential of the change, while your partner and colleague has only just heard about it for the first time.

Instead of jumping right into the action part of a change initiative, we need to start with the belief that there is a significant amount of work to be done on the part of the change implementer before the first words of change are ever spoken. This is in order to ensure a successful implementation.

One of my most trusted tools when working with communities and organizations is Gleicher, Bechard and Dannemiller’s Change Formula.

The initial change formula was created by David Gleicher and published by Richard Beckhard in the early 1960s. The formula was later refined by Kathie Dannemiller in the 1980s and has multiple iterations through time. The most widely accepted version of the formula focuses on the three things that have to be present for meaningful change to occur. Without these three components, change initiatives are inherently flawed and at risk of failing. Dannemiller, using Gleicher and Beckhards original formula, combined these three things, in linear fashion, into what is known as the current change formula: D x V x F > R

D (Dissatisfaction with the current situation): This represents the level of dissatisfaction or discontent with the current state or status quo within an organization or community. It's essential for change to occur because without sufficient dissatisfaction, there may not be enough motivation to drive change forward.
V (Vision of the desired state): V refers to the clear and compelling vision of the desired future state or outcome that the organization or community seeks to achieve through the change initiative. This vision provides a sense of direction and purpose, motivating stakeholders to work towards the desired change.
F (First steps towards the change): F represents the practical first steps or actions required to initiate the change process. These steps are tangible and specific actions that help to transition from the current state to the desired future state. They also represent the “quick wins” you need in order to get your change to get off the ground. Implementing these initial actions is crucial for momentum and progress towards the change.

R (Resistance to change): R signifies the resistance or obstacles that may arise during the change process. Resistance can come from various sources, including individuals, groups, or cultural norms within the organization or community. Addressing and managing resistance effectively is essential for successful change implementation.

The formula suggests that for change to be successful, the product of dissatisfaction (D), times vision (V), times first steps (F) must be greater than the resistance (R) to change. In other words, the combined force of dissatisfaction with the current situation, a compelling vision of the future, and concrete initial actions must outweigh the resistance to change in order to achieve successful organizational or community change.

Whether implementing a new town committee on policing, creating a new flat organizational structure, or changing a three-decade-long festival in your hometown, each initiative comes with its own kind of resistance designed to disrupt and possibly derail the process, and many times it’s the actions we take prematurely that awaken the resistance.

Over the course of the next 3-4 weeks, we will explore each element of the formula creating a pragmatic, directly applicable model you and your team can now start to follow when implementing change.