In this session, you learnt how to identify and deal with roadblocks of different types in the change

implementation process. In addition, you learnt the importance of creating a short-term win to learn from
failures and scale faster.

Roadblocks can typically be categorised under the following heads:

1. People roadblocks: Roadblocks due to resistance from on-ground people during change
implementation
2. Process roadblocks: Roadblocks due to inefficient processes or hierarchies during change
implementation

People roadblocks can be categorised further as follows:

1. Active resisters: People who openly and vocally oppose the change and encourage others to join them
2. Passive resisters: People who do not commit their time and effort, even though they do not oppose the
change openly
3. Confused individuals: People who do not understand the change – they neither oppose it nor support
it actively

The ADKAR change model and the Kübler-Ross change curve are pertinent in the context of handling
roadblocks. Through studying the nature of resistance from the stakeholders’ behaviour, they provide a
framework for handling roadblocks effectively.

The ADKAR model is used not only for planning a change but also for diagnosing the root cause of an
individual’s resistance to change. For instance, if the employees are concerned about the relevance of their
current skills to the change and whether they would have to re-skill in the future, then the leaders can identify
this resistance under the ‘Ability’ category of the ADKAR model.

The image below shows the corrective actions based on a root cause analysis using the ADKAR model.

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The next image shows the corrective actions based on a root cause analysis using the Kübler-Ross change
curve.

To deal with the process or organisational roadblocks, companies can either modify old processes to
accommodate new changes or make the new changes exceptions for the old processes.

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Achieving short-term wins offers certain benefits while implementing a change. They are listed below:
1. It creates a sense of accomplishment.
2. It boosts the team’s morale.
3. It neutralises the critiques.
4. It builds momentum for the change.

To measure the extent of short-term wins, you can refer to their features, which are shown in this image.

There are two techniques to identify gaps in case of a short-term failure. These are listed below:
1. Ishikawa diagram (or fishbone diagram): It is used where the reasons or gaps are qualitative and can
be bridged through feedback or discussions.
2. Hypothesis formulation: It is used when the exact cause of the failure is unknown but can be deduced
through statistical experiments.

Customer feedback is of prime importance when it comes to identifying the root cause of any change – as the
change itself is based on customer centricity. FastWorks adhered to the Lean principles, which enabled it to
address its prototype inconsistencies through gathering customer feedback regularly, and it was able to
deliver the final product quickly. That is the power of creating short-term goals on your journey to a long-term
change vision.

Often organisations become too preoccupied with their short-term wins and start expecting early progress on
their long-term change goals. In the seventh step of Kotter’s eight-step model, the aim of leaders is to build
momentum for a larger scale change through channelising the short-term victories.

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It would be a judgement error to assume that what worked during the testing stage can be extrapolated
conveniently to other non-tested areas.

The Kaizen technique, or continuous improvement, is the key. Each change, if taken incrementally, can create
a powerful engine to aid acceleration.

Just like the Failure Analysis Committee at ISRO, which probes into what went well, what did not go well and
whether it was sheer luck on any occasion after every successful win, you can create your own analyses
taking your team into confidence.

The culture of an organisation should be conducive and aligned to the changes being implemented.

For a sustainable future, leaders should embed new changes in the culture of the organisation. There are many
different ways to do so; some of them are listed below:
1. Communication and reinforcement: Pass on the success of the change objectively and repeatedly to
all the stakeholders
2. Link adoption to KRAs: Make the adoption a part of the performance objectives of the stakeholders
and link it to their rewards
3. Train newly hired employees: Educate employees about the change initiatives
4. Train new change champions: Upskill new employees to replace the exiting change champions for
taking the change forward

The only change sustainable is continuous change.

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