Creating Sustainable Change – How to create and sustain change?
February 12, 2025
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Anderson & Anderson’s model of change provides a comprehensive coverage of the entire process of change and equally explains the whole process of change as a cyclical process (Anderson and Anderson, 2001, p. 13). This model briefly views change from three perspectives:
All the three processes are integrated and interdependent on each other. The model is illustrated through nine phases as demonstrated in the diagram below:
Source: Adapted from Anderson and Anderson (2001, p. 15)
Phase I - Preparing to Lead the Change Initiative: Any change in an organization is the result of a wake-up call which an employee receives in an organziation. During this phase, the employees of the organization, as well as the management, reach a consensus regarding the need for change.
The strategies for managing change are implemented as well as the employees are prepared for dealing with the change process through effective communication and involvement of the employees in the entire process. The employees are prepared for the change process by:
Phase II - Defining the Organizational Vision, Commitment and strengthening the Capabilities: This stage relates to building organization wide commitment, understanding and strengthening the capacity to succeed in the transformation process (Anderson and Anderson, 2001, p. 129). This can be achieved by:
Phase III - Determine the Design Requirements by Assessing the Situation: This is the stage during which the existing situation or the current realities of an organization are assessed and defining the expectations clearly regarding what are desired outcomes which can be achieved through implementation of change. This can be achieved by:
Phase-IV - Enabling achievement of the Vision by Creating the Desired Design State: This phase involves designing the organizational as well as cultural solutions which may help in the realization of the ultimate vision. This can be achieved by:
Phase V - Analysis of the Impact: The magnitude of the impact can be measured by using the Gap Analysis tool which would highlight the key areas or issues which can be addressed by crafting a realistic plan of action.
During this phase, the champions of change need to focus on the formal organizational processes and also the behavioural, cultural and human factors and the interlinkages between them.
Phase VI: Masterminding the implementation plans, integrating various actions for achieving efficiencies and optimizing resource utilization.
It involves the implementation of strategies, defining the timelines and managing the key processes for reaching the desired state.
Phase VII - Implementing the Change Plans: During this phase, the change initiators should pay attention to the following parameters;
Phase VIII - Celebrating as well as Integrating the New State: This is the stage for celebrating the achievement of the desired state and making people in the organization aware that they are in the new state.
Rewarding the people who have made active contributions towards the achievement of the desired state. It equally involves integrating the employees and supporting them for mastering the new behaviours, skills and competencies. This integration and support may take the forms of training & development, mentoring and coaching of employees, identifying best practices and rewarding outstanding performances, benchmarking the practices or success stories of other organizations and organizing seminars/workshops, projects, etc.
Phase IX - Learning & Correct Course: This is the last phase which involves paying attention to the following factors:
Anderson & Anderson’s model of change management is a much more comprehensive model and is very useful for addressing various kinds of change in the organization. Apart from this, it equally describes the change in nine cyclical phases and gives due importance to all the strategic decisions which should be considered by the champions of change.
The model provides strategic alternatives for addressing various challenges which may arise during different phases of the change.
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