With change evoking so many different emotions in people, it is critical that managers know how
to facilitate change in a positive manner. It is also important to note that 70% of all major change
efforts fail (http://www.kotterinternational.com/the-8-step-process-for-leading-change/). With
that high rate of failure, it is vital that managers work with and coach their employees through
any major changes in a formal manner. Dr. John Kotter, a former Professor of Leadership at
Harvard Business School, developed an eight step process that is used by many businesses to
facilitate change.
To help give you a better understanding of the Kotter Change Model, here is an example of how
the City of Canyon went from a dry city (where alcoholic beverages cannot be sold) to a city
where beer and wine can now be served in convenience stores and supermarkets. This example
does not fit the change model perfectly, but you can see how they basically followed the steps to
get the outcome they wanted.
Establish a Sense of Urgency – In 2013, a small group of Canyon residents felt that the time
was right for Canyon to allow alcohol to be sold within the city limits. The law had been
challenged in the past but many hoped that the community was ready to change its culture. While
a “Sense of Urgency” was not necessarily created at this time, this was the starting point for the
change to occur.
Creating a Guiding Coalition – A group called CA$H for Canyon was formed and an
application for a petition was submitted to the city. In order for the petition to get the option on
the November ballet, CA$H for Canyon had to form a team of people to help get the 1002
required signatures.
Developing a Change Vision and Strategy – In order to facilitate this change, the group had to
develop a way to disseminate information about the proposed changes and needed a vision and
strategy to get the required signatures on the petition. They developed key talking points to help
encourage people to sign the petition. They also built alliances with restaurants and gas stations
to help support the change. The gas stations even helped them get signatures on the petition. The
key talking points used were:
Increased sales tax income for the city
Keep business local – many people traveled to outside communities to purchase alcohol Other towns that have allowed alcohol sales have not seen an increase in
DWI’s, DUI’s, and other alcohol related crimes
Communicating the Vision for Buy-In – At this point, the group set out to get the community
to sign the petition. Pak-A-Sak allowed the group to leave the petition in their gas stations and
CA$H for Canyon had a booth during the July Fair on the Square. They also had volunteers that
went door-to-door to gather signatures on the petition and spread the word about the initiative.
Social media was heavily used to communicate the vision and encourage people to sign the
petition.
Empowering Others to Act – While getting signatures on the petition, volunteers were also
encouraging Canyon residents to register to vote and then remember to vote in the November
2014 elections. It was very important that the group asked the residents to go to the polls and
vote as the petition was only going to get the option on the ballot, not pass the law. Generating Short-term Wins – There were quite a few people and organizations that were and
are very much against alcohol sales in the city. They put out tons of articles and publications
communicating their displeasure with the potential law. One group went as far as publicly
shaming those individuals who signed the petition. However, the CA$H for Canyon group
continued to fight and was able to get well over the required 1002 signatures to get the proposal
on the ballot.
Never Letting Up – While the negative attention was not good news for the legalization of
alcohol sales, the CA$H for Canyon group continued to sell their vision and encourage each
citizen to vote. Both groups fought a long hard battle to convince the community to vote their
direction.
Incorporating the Change into the Culture – Once the vote occurred and the law was passed,
the CA$H for Canyon group encouraged businesses to get the necessary paperwork completed to
allow for the sale of alcohol in their business. While some people in the city still have negative
feelings towards the selling of alcohol in Canyon, other citizens are enjoying the change that has
occurred within the city limits.
For this assignment, write a 2 – 3 page paper (12 pt font, Times New Roman, double
spaced) describing a change that followed Kotter’s eight step change process. This could be
a change that occurred in your community, your organization, in politics, etc. Give specific
examples to explain each step of the process.
