Change processes

Change processes are now a basic condition, and when handled correctly, they can be highly effective in driving business and organisational development, as well as in implementing and executing strategies.

At People & Performance, we have worked with leading change processes for 15 years. We therefore know that change places significant demands on you as a leader. Learn to understand what a change process is, and read more about the four phases that make up the journey.

What Are Change Processes?

A change process is any transition from one situation to a different, altered situation. This could, for example, be the implementation of a new IT system, a shift in the organisation’s value set, or new ways of collaborating.

When we talk about change management and leading change processes, we refer to planned, facilitated processes in which there is a clear initiator (typically top management) and a defined intention behind the change — usually an expectation of increased value creation through more efficient workflows, reduced costs, or innovation.

We therefore do not work with external changes such as financial crises, climate crises, pandemics, war, or other external factors that certainly create change but are far less planned. Instead, we focus on the change processes that are initiated within and by the organisation. These may, of course, still be triggered by external events. 

The Changing Nature of Change

Traditionally, change has been viewed as a planned process with a clear beginning and end, moving through four distinct phases — for example, when implementing a new CRM system or carrying out an organisational restructuring.

Today, however, change processes increasingly involve transforming the organisation’s culture, values, identity, capacity for innovation, or ways of collaborating with customers and the wider environment. This places entirely new demands on you as a leader and on how you mobilise your employees.

The Four Phases of Change

Most change processes consist of four overarching phases related to planning and managing the transition. Each phase brings its own challenges and opportunities:

1. Planning
2. Kickoff
3. Acceleration
4. Integration

The Planning Phase

Planning is the preparation stage of a change process. This is where you outline the project, assess the scope of the change, and evaluate employees’ readiness for it. It is also where you develop a roadmap for employee involvement and for communication before, during, and after the change.

The purpose of the planning phase is to be fully prepared to mobilise people as soon as the change is announced — reducing uncertainty and ensuring momentum from the very beginning.

The Kickoff Phase

The kickoff phase is where the change is initiated. This is when you launch the planned activities and respond to what emerges along the way. The purpose of this phase is to help people understand the rationale behind the change and to enable as many as possible to contribute.

Being able to contribute during a change process is one of the most effective ways to prevent resistance to change.

The Acceleration Phase

During the acceleration phase, the organisation needs to “settle into” the change. By this point, people may have been reassigned, new processes have been launched, new systems are accessible, and so on.

The purpose of the acceleration phase is to ensure that the new ways of working are implemented effectively throughout the organisation.

The Integration Phase

Integration is the final phase of the change process — and unfortunately the one most often overlooked. This is the stage where the new system has been rolled out, and your sales team has been trained to use it. In other words, the change is in place, and it is now time for it to demonstrate its value in day-to-day operations.

As a leader, you must drive the development of the right culture, behaviours, and practices to ensure that the new systems and workflows deliver the intended benefits. This is also the phase where adjustments are made — for example, if a new system doesn’t integrate well with an existing one, or if workflows that looked good on paper don’t quite fit reality.

The purpose of the integration phase is to refine the change so that it supports efficient, sustainable daily operations. This is the phase that truly creates long-term success and value.

The four phases of the change process are linked to Change Management and are essential to understand in order to master the part of change that can be ‘controlled’.

How Do You Maintain Yourself During Change?

It is important that, as a leader, you bring yourself into the change process. A successful change requires that the leader also learns — and that you dare to be open about not knowing exactly what the end result will look like.

Major changes are often known and decided by top management long before leaders and employees hear about them. As a result, many leaders feel left to themselves when they must handle increasing complexity at an ever-faster pace.

An additional challenge is that you, as a leader, are expected to be a positive and active supporter — even a flag-bearer — for the change, helping to mobilise employees, while you yourself have had very little time to adjust.

This is why it is crucial that you are able to mobilise yourself. You can develop strong self-mobilisation strategies through a combination of:

• Personal mental coping strategies (creating vision, setting boundaries, balancing obligations, etc.)
• Deliberate use of physical activity as a release
• Building trusted spaces where you can share concerns without consequences
• Awareness of which leadership activities serve as self-mobilisation

Leading Change Processes

For a change process to succeed, it requires active change management. Read our article on change management to learn more about how you, as a leader, can navigate a change process safely and effectively.

You are also always welcome to contact us to hear more about how we can support you in driving the next major change process in your organisation.