Today we'll explore the Fifth Principle of Change, which can also be one of the toughest aspects of leading Change: "With better information, change the plan (and explain why)."
Underpinning this principle is a universal truth: change takes considered effort. It demands that we leave our comfort zones, rethink our ways of doing things, and weather the inevitable uncertainty and hesitancy that arises along the way. More importantly...it demands we influence others to do all of these intensive things!
Now, imagine having to change the very path of change itself; to modify the carefully laid out plans, revisit conversations with multiple stakeholders (some who may be hostile), add costs into already stretched budgets and update a multitude of documents.
Why on Earth would I advocate you do something like that?!
Because here's the challenge: Our organisational ecosystem isn't static, and neither are the conditions that drive our change initiatives. A perfect change plan is not a "rock solid" one, but one that evolves in tandem with our expanding knowledge.
It's understandable that a top leadership fear is "changing the change." As a leader, we fear our leadership will be perceived as weak, uninformed, or indecisive. At a deeper level, we resist the additional effort that comes with synthesising, contextualising, and communicating even more change, not to mention the flow on emotional investment needed for our key stakeholders.
On one hand, you want to forge ahead; to some extent, this will give your people clarity...maybe make them feel reassured and psychologically safe. But you might be looking at new information or better intelligence that suggests that all the effort you put in so far...might not get you to the promised land of benefits realisation.
This principle is about being flexible, about keeping our eyes and ears open to new information, data, or feedback, and having the agility to adjust our plans accordingly. The triggers for these pivots could be internal - new data revealing a shortfall in project progress, credible and validated feedback from team members about a particular obstacle, or the introduction of a new technological tool that essentially changes a process. Or, they could be external - a change in market trends, a new competitive threat, or a shift in customer behaviour.
It's about cultivating an ongoing dialogue between your change plan and the unfolding reality around it. This dialogue (ideally from multiple voices) ensures the plan remains aligned with the changing context and the ultimate change goals. And remember, purpose driven agility isn't a mark of inconsistency; much like experimentation, it's a testament to a dynamic, intelligent approach to change.
But merely adjusting the plan isn't enough. After all, change affects people, and people need clear, open, and honest communication to navigate it effectively. Therefore, every pivot should be accompanied by clear, concise, and open communication explaining the reasons for the shift.
This inability to effectively and consistently explain "the Why", might be the second biggest mistake I see leaders make (behind this one), but we'll save that guidance for our next two Principles of Change...
How will you know when to change the change? Remember something you've never heard of: Quibi
Quibi was a short-form streaming service that raised $1.75 billion in funding before its launch in April 2020. The platform's unique selling proposition was its focus on "quick bites" (hence the name) of content that could be watched in 10 minutes or less, specifically designed for mobile viewing. The idea was to capture the market segment that consumed entertainment during commutes or downtime throughout their day. It was supposed to be "the Netflix of mobile"
(Note: links for those who like to 'deep dive' in the post script)
Unfortunately, despite the substantial investments and high-profile leadership (including former Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman), Quibi was unable to gain significant traction. Admittedly, the COVID-19 pandemic hit at the same time, making the mobile-focused, on-the-go entertainment platform less appealing to people in lockdown in front of much bigger screens all day - and with a multitude of content options available (Netflix, Disney, HBO etc.).
Despite their vast experience, Katzenberg and Whitman ignored early signs of lackluster performance and changing consumer behaviour due to the pandemic. There was no change to the change, despite the biggest global change for its target generation(s). In fact, the company doubled down on its original strategy, continuing to invest heavily in content (all of which had no impact in media / entertainment), ignored key success factors of it's competitors like TikTok (which is geared toward social sharing and interaction) whilst ignoring customer sentiment to shift towards a more traditional streaming model or to adjust the platform to accommodate in-home viewing.
This decision to stick with the original plan, despite clear signals that the landscape had changed, proved to be a critical mistake. Just six months after its launch, Quibi announced its shutdown.
Quibi's story offers a stark reminder of our principle: "With better information, change the plan (and explain why)". Just imagine: Quibi leadership has the humility to accept that the original business model wouldn't work. It bides it's time, running a minimum viable product through the pandemic times, whilst actively learning and imitating from competitors. It develops a '"hardcore" fanbase, by engaging with them in personalised ways. It incentivises industry partners to "try something new" with the short format.
Many quick bites later in post pandemic times as our "on the go" lives start to re-emerge...would it be the "Tik Tok killer" it's investors threw their cash in for? No one can know for sure, but at least it wouldn't be the catch-phrase of this article!
Embracing this principle requires the courage to revise the plan when necessary, the humility to learn and adapt, and the transparency to communicate these changes effectively. This principle isn't about endorsing constant upheaval or last-minute adjustments - to be clear, people still react badly to that, even if it can be justified.
It's about recognising that our initial plan, however comprehensive, is just a hypothesis. It's about treating the journey of change as an ongoing learning experience, where we continuously refine this hypothesis based on better information.
The best leaders of change don't have the perfect plans. They have the best capacity to adapt their plans intelligently and collaboratively, then communicate effectively. This ability to pivot with purpose and put considered effort into creating clarity, is what sets apart truly agile change leaders.
"Changing the change" is likely to considered multiple efforts and often emotionally taxing. But, as leaders, it's our responsibility to do so.
Stay flexible, stay open, and lead with transparency and agility. When better information comes your way, don't shy away. Embrace it, adapt your plan, explain why, and continue onward with renewed focus and conviction.
And if you've got colleagues or team members who lack urgency or have apathy to the need to change the change - ask them...
"Are you actually Quibi-ing me right now?"
P.S.: So...you're a deep diver? Welcome commrade, here's the primer on Quibi and the long from breakdown...fascinating lessons on multiple organisational fronts!