Change Management Approaches For Sustainable Change

How do you build a culture of lasting improvement? 3M’s story is a standout example. This company has been on a journey to tackle pollution in their products and processes—backed by their employees every step of the way. What started with a few small projects to test Lean Six Sigma eventually grew into a massive initiative involving 55,000 trained employees. Over five years, they completed 8,000+ projects that had a real impact: significant cuts in waste and pollution, surpassing each of their initial goals. The key? They didn’t just introduce a methodology—they made it part of their culture. 3M leaders empowered employees to bring their voices and ideas to the table, using “voice of customer” interviews to connect every change to real needs. This approach made each project not only more efficient but also more meaningful to those involved, giving everyone a stake in the outcome. What can we learn from this? Sustainable change often requires going beyond tools and strategies; it means building a culture that values continuous improvement and listens to every voice. 3M’s results, recognized in studies by the EPA, show the potential of Lean Six Sigma when it’s deeply woven into the company’s DNA. It’s a reminder that real change doesn’t come from buzzwords or quick fixes. It’s about thoughtful action, accountability, and a shared commitment to doing better. What could this kind of commitment look like for your team?

Why do so many change initiatives fail? Because we skip the basics, and get lost in methodologies, frameworks, and actions that check boxes but fail to drive behavioral change aligned with strategic, impactful outcomes. Paul Gibbons & Patricia K., in The Future of Change Management (link in comments), offer 4 critical questions we must answer to drive behavioral change: 1- Whose behavior needs to change? 2- What specifically do we expect them to do? 3- When should the change happen? 4- How will we measure success? If we can't answer these clearly, we're not ready to lead change. A few considerations: - Behavioral change is often missing right from the start, absent during discovery, vision-building, and business case development, when it should already be shaping the change strategy. - Change doesn’t happen by simply adjusting mindsets or environments. Cognitions, emotions, behaviors, and environments are deeply interconnected, treating them in isolation oversimplifies the real work of sustainable change. - Teams and enterprises develop collective cognitions and emotional states that crystallize into culture, establishing a form of homeostasis that naturally resists disruption and protects the status quo. - A key part of the work is helping change leaders and their teams: . Understand the gap between current and future states (gap analysis) . Define process goals and organizational habits to focus on . Build environments that support — not compete with — the behaviors we want . Enable teams to find their own pathways to embed new behaviors - Most initiatives miss the mark because: . They focus excessively on traditional change management, communications, and training, assuming that training alone creates ability, but it doesn’t . They build "abilities" that don't align with strategic needs . They spread efforts too thin with competing priorities instead of focus Sustainable change requires an integrated focus on behavior design, habit formation, and systemic alignment, far beyond traditional training and communications efforts. Where do you see behavioral gaps being missed most often in change initiatives? ♻️ Repost to spread value. 🔔 or follow to read similar content. #ChangeManagement #FutureOfWork #Transformation #Leadership

According to a Bain survey, 65% of initiatives fail because they require significant behavioral change. Making business changes stick long-term is one of the greatest challenges leaders face. Here’s how to overcome this hurdle: 1. Clarify Objectives: Without crystal-clear objectives, your team will struggle to understand the "why" behind the change. Define the goals in simple, actionable terms that resonate with every level of the organization. 2. Reinforce Behavioral Change: Behavioral change isn't a one-time effort. It requires consistent reinforcement. Regularly communicate the importance of new behaviors, and celebrate small wins that align with the change. 3. Support Commitment to the Goal: Leaders must visibly commit to the change. This commitment builds trust and signals to the team that the initiative is not just another passing trend but a core part of the company's future. 4. Ensure Accountability: Accountability is critical. Assign clear ownership for each part of the initiative. Use metrics to track progress, and hold individuals and teams responsible for meeting their targets. 5. Combat the Swirl of the Day Job: One of the biggest obstacles to lasting change is the day-to-day swirl of existing responsibilities. Prioritize the change by integrating it into daily routines and making it part of the fabric of the organization. During a recent corporate carveout, we faced the challenge of transitioning from a legacy culture to a more agile, entrepreneurial mindset. The real hurdle wasn't just setting new strategies but ensuring everyone aligned with the new way of thinking. By focusing on these key areas—especially reinforcing new behaviors and combating the daily distractions—we successfully embedded the changes into the company’s DNA, turning a potential roadblock into a stepping stone for growth. Remember, the real problem often isn't the change itself but our collective unawareness of what truly needs to be done to make it stick. Focus on these key areas to ensure that your business changes become lasting improvements rather than temporary adjustments. #Leadership #ChangeManagement #BusinessTransformation #Carveout