Any transformation of significance will create people issues. New leaders will be asked to step up, jobs will be changed, new skills and capabilities must be developed, and people will be uncertain and will resist. Dealing with these issues on a reactive, case-by-case basis puts speed, morale, and results at risk. A disciplined approach to change management is important for any transformational approach.

A fact-based approach demands as much data collection and analysis, planning, and implementation discipline as a redesign of strategy, systems, or processes. It should be fully integrated into program design and decision-making, both informing and enabling strategic direction. It should be based on a realistic assessment of the organisation’s history, readiness, and capacity to change. And it should link multiple change initiatives together. A formal approach for managing chang – beginning with the leadership team and then engaging key stakeholders and leaders – should be developed early but adapted often as change moves through the organisation.