To implement change, you must rewire your organisation

WHY do organisational change efforts fail? Most often because leaders didn't give sufficient attention to the implementation phase of the process. When companies undertake major change initiatives, such as restructuring or post-acquisition integration, they typically do a good job in the design phase. They design the new strategy and structure. They create staffing plans and design unified processes and systems.

It's when the time comes for the organisation to "go live" that things start to go wrong. Executives often assume that so long as the design has been done well, and they provide clear guidance about goals and strategy, the new organisation wil…