Make Change Stick:
The Benefit of On-going Tracking

This case tells the story of how a Life Science company with 3,000+ employees made change stick by tracking how the 3% felt about the change and by recalibrating their initiatives accordingly.

This all started three months after the initial diagnostic was shared with them. This was the time when they did the 1st Change Tracker.

The Change Tracker proved the efforts from the change program were working! The targeted engagement of the #ThreePercentRule Influencers resulted in quick mindset changes. After one-on-ones with the project team, it was clear they felt more positive about the transformation. Across the board, there was a 10% increase of positive perceptions, most notably understanding the logic behind the change and more influencers stating they were willing to devote their time to the transformation. The project team knew they needed to take advantage of the tailwind.

Upon receiving the first results, the project team was thrilled. Their efforts to execute the action plan were working. The influencers felt they were being kept in the know, and their perceptions surrounding the change were a positive reflection of that.

When it was time for the 2nd Change Tracker, the results were not following the upward trend of the 1st Change Tracker… in fact, it took a sharp turn the other way. The sentiments surrounding the change program shifted from excitement, hopeful, and energized to curious, unclear, and anxious.

In the three months between the 1st and the 2nd Change Tracker, the project team had focused primarily on keeping influencers in the loop virtually. Clearly, this was not resonating with the influencers. After the 1st Change Tracker, the project team stated they felt everything was on track, especially after the initial, in-person one-on-ones. However, the results indicated that the virtual status updates were not enough to make the influencers feel they were a part of the change program.

To ensure the 3rd Change Tracker did not follow the decline seen in the 2nd Change Tracker, Innovisor and the project team recalibrated the action plan. During the next three months, influencers would be invited into a mix of in-person and virtual small groups to discuss and offer feedback on the next steps of the change program. Leaders would offer Q&A sessions where influencers and the project team would also set up an inbox where influencers could share feedback, with the option of sharing it anonymously.

The results in the 3rd Change Tracker indicated a small but significant improvement. This experience served as a reminder to all involved:

Don’t get complacent- you’ll lose the momentum of the initial diagnostic and in many cases, the trust built with your people deteriorates!

While the project team in this case was able to intervene in time, the perceptions and trust initially built with the influencers suffered.

Not following through poses a major risk to any change program. If we do not remain focused, with intentional check-ins to hold us accountable, it is easy to lose sight of the end goal or even get swept up in “the next big change”. In this case, a one-time check-in after the initial diagnostic wouldn’t have revealed the risk that came with limiting engagements after the first three months.

At Innovisor, we’ll bring you all the way. Change Trackers are built into our approach. We know they serve as an early warning signal– when those with their ear close to the ground become more negative or messaging isn’t resonating, it is time to recalibrate your approach!