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Change Management Part II: Implementing the Changes

As I prepared for major organizational change at my institution based on a new strategic plan, I sought wisdom and advice from several CEOs about how they manage such change at their respective organizations. In a previous essay, I reported their advice on the importance of clear, consistent communication. Here, I share what I learned from the leaders about how to implement changes. Much of it translates into practical advice for higher education, where formidable challenges require major change to thrive in the future.  

Focus on a Student-First Mentality 

Tip: Putting students first ensures their growth, success and well-being, fostering a transformative learning environment that prepares them to lead, innovate and impact the world positively. We ultimately serve students. 

The leaders highlighted the importance of upholding core purpose as they worked through the changes. Many used the term “customers first,” which translates to “students first” in higher education. Change is in the service of our institutional mission and those we serve.  

My institution has always been a student-centered university known for excellent undergraduate education and premier graduate programs. The challenges we face in higher education will never change that mission; they change how we most effectively accomplish it. With that understanding, even difficult changes become worthwhile to advance the institution. Ultimately, everyone wants what is best for students. 

Such an approach calls for the virtue of selfless service. People with a personal or departmental interest in the status quo must be willing to set it aside for the university’s students and future.  

Respect Impacted Individuals 

Tip: Treating impacted employees with respect and empathy preserves their dignity, fosters trust and upholds organizational values, ensuring smoother transitions and sustained morale even during difficult changes. 

Plans that introduce significant change sometimes include higher expectations, advanced training, reassignment and, in some cases, letting some employees go, a hard reality for any organization. Many higher education institutions experienced this reality firsthand during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the post-COVID world. Personal and professional relationships run deep. We must manage changes in the most humane way possible, honoring people for their contributions and providing whatever support we can for the transition. When their friends and colleagues see what kind of employer we are, they can be confident in the values that guide our decision making.  

This process calls for the virtue of empathy. We understand how the person feels—we feel a loss, too—and we want the best for them. Our respect and appreciation for them as individuals remain undiminished.   

Report Progress 

Tip: Engaging all stakeholders ensures diverse perspectives, fosters buy-in, aligns goals and strengthens commitment, leading to more informed decisions and successful long-term outcomes. 

The more people involved in implementing the plans, the more support the plans will have, as we discussed in Part I. Leaders who solicit input and share developments win trust, enthusiasm and allies who will promote the actions throughout the organization, as well as good ideas that might make the process work more smoothly.   

During the implementation of the new plan or change, the communication to stakeholders pivots from communicating the plan, strategies and ideas to scoring, sustaining and changing direction when necessary. Sharing the developments, wins and losses ensures accountability, holding teams and organizations to achieving strategic goals; establishes an evaluation framework to confirm the strategy is working; tracks progress, including where we are and how far we have to go; identifies gaps; provides data points for quantitative metrics; and, when necessary, signals problems that call for a pivot.  

Welcoming input and sharing full results call for humility to consider others’ views seriously and value their contributions.   

Pace Yourself 

Tip: Quick action is necessary to set standards for change, but change takes time. Avoid hasty decisions and reckless actions that might backfire. Give appropriate time to adjust to changes.   

Everyone in the organization must see the seriousness of implementing the necessary changes. We should not delay but proceed in a way that gives everyone an opportunity to clearly understand the changes and why they are necessary. Give them time to adjust; they will be even more uncomfortable if they feel rushed. One leader explained, “Speed is critical; speeding is harmful.”   

Leaders highlighted how to identify decisions that need speed and those that need more time. Whatever is losing interest or market share calls for quicker action. Transformative change takes more time to avoid burnout. More deliberate speed allows for analysis, confirmation and momentum building.  

Implementing transformative plans takes time and will include some ups and downs. Leaders need perseverance. They must be resilient, ready to pivot as needed and patient enough to see some strategies to full fruition.   

Trust the Process 

Tip: Build the plan on fact-based, fair, unbiased, data-driven decision making rather than emotion and personal preference. Trust the process. Grounding in reality elevates inclusion, credibility, buy-in, unity and support. 

Massive change can be unsettling for leaders as well as employees. Temptations to doubt and second-guess might arise as the effects of the decisions become clear. Remember the careful, evidence-based, data-driven process that produced this approach and remind others that it is the best response to the new realities. Employees are more confident when they know the leader is following evidence rather than personal preference. The dynamism of the process, even when it is difficult, opens opportunities for excitement, creativity and innovation. 

The virtue of resourcefulness can help the organization thrive through the changes. Obstacles can be addressed when they first appear rather than when they have grown into more difficult challenges.  

Act Boldly 

Tip: Once decisions are made based on dialogue and stakeholder wisdom, they should be monitored and adapted as needed but stay resolute in pursuing goals and not become distracted by negativity or opposition.   

When plans are grounded in data, facts and reality, leaders must act decisively to implement them. There will likely be pushback, complaints and genuine concern, which the leader can answer with evidence, but the organization should be confident in the leader’s determination to achieve the goals. In higher education, this is for the good of the students and the whole organization. Whether you stay the course or pivot, dedication to the mission is unchanged. A ship does not stop sailing just because a shift in the winds calls for trimming the sails.  

Leaders need courage to navigate the challenge of change. As Maya Angelou said, “Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” Leaders need this courage to practice integrity, empathy, accountability, humility, fairness and more.  

Engaging the CEOs reminded me of what I learned about leadership during COVID-19 when a major change occurred every day. My analogy for leadership was swimming in the ocean amid waves, storms and currents but always with land in sight. The fog of the pandemic meant I often had little information and had to go with my gut, guided by mission and values. The virtues listed above are vital for any successful leadership, new plans and strategies around change management.  

I am grateful to the C-suite executives and others for helping me expand my understanding of change management leadership. We in higher education can benefit from the experience of others as we embrace the challenges of the dynamic future we are entering.