New Ideas Need Momentum

  Change Management   Communications Management   Knowledge Management   Lessons Learned   ProjectsAtWork  

Many organizational change initiatives start with a bang and end with a whimper. New ideas need dedicated champions to sustain momentum as people lose interest and obstacles are encountered. Here are some ongoing activities to keep individuals engaged, informed and supportive.

We can think of introducing ideas as analogous to planting a sapling: Without water, sun and a source of nourishment, the young tree will die. It will need attention to keep it alive and growing. Sometimes we forget how important this ongoing support is — for all living things, including introducing new ideas and change in your organization.

You are a dedicated champion. You have made some progress introducing the new idea into your organization. The many other things that need to be done will tempt you to put the task of introducing the new idea on the back burner for a while. Doing so can cause you and other people to lose interest in it.

It takes work to maintain interest. Even though it may be easy to start the change effort with a lot of enthusiasm, the never-ending list of things to do can make you feel tired of the investment it takes to introduce the new idea. But without continuing, proactive efforts, any new idea can wither and die on the vine.

If you don’t reinforce the benefits of your new idea, you run the risk that excitement and interest will fade, especially when …

Please log in or sign up below to read the rest of the article.