Change with Confidence: Answers to the 50 Biggest Questions that Keep Change Leaders Up at Night

Chapter 28

When Is the Organization Ready for Big Change?

If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe.

—Abraham Lincoln

You need to be confident that all parts of your organization are ready to take on new ways of working. If people aren't fully prepared they will revert back to old ways of doing things, which in turn will probably lead to business disruptions—orders not being sent, inaccurate inventory records, payments being incorrectly addressed, and so on—mistakes that will cause confusion, frustration, additional cost, and delays. Your goal is to make sure that colleagues are able to say, “I understand why we are making the changes, know what to do, am equipped, and am committed to its success.”

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