It all comes down to the transition phase

It all comes down to the transition phase

Whether organisational changes, significant personnel changes or “simply” introducing new software systems, success depends substantially on how the transition phase is designed.

The transition phase is the time in between: between old and new. When the old world’s rules still dominate and the new world’s rules are not yet effective—or are not even known.

The art of successful change lies in keeping these transition periods as short and deliberate as possible. I have seen even the best concepts fail in these phases when given little attention.

As an active designer of such changes, you often have an emotional and knowledge head start over those who were not involved in designing the new. Being aware of that is already a good prerequisite for preparing those previously uninvolved for the coming changes.

My professional companion Kai Kochmann advises those previously uninvolved to accept what is, avoid wasting energy on complaining and take action. There is more in his current career podcast episode “love it, change it or leave it”.