What is the best way for big companies to eloquently change course to stay competitive?
According to John P. Kotter and Leonard A. Schlesinger, the first thing to do is to determine how fast you will need to change. Obviously, the faster a large company tries to course-correct, the more resistance they may face.. "Move quickly if the organization risks plummeting performance or death if the present situation isn't changed, but proceed slowly if resistance will be intense and extensive."
The second is to fully assess the different types of resistance you may face and use the corresponding methods outlined in this article to address each one. These include education, participation, facilitation, negotiation and as a last resort, coercion.
As managers must deal with more and more "government regulations, new products, growth, increased competition, technological developments and a changing workforce," they can expect to "undertake moderate organizational changes at least once a year and major changes at least every four or five."
John P. Kotter and Leonard A. Schlesinger give practical approaches for employers to handle the resistance they will face.
