Definition:
The change acceleration process is a well-known strategy that helps organizations design, manage, and successfully implement change. Its main focus is to speed up the change acceleration process while ensuring it is effective and sustainable. In other words, it is a collection of tools and principles designed to accelerate acceleration and increase the success of organizational change.
Overview to CAP:
The change acceleration process is a system developed by General Electric(GE) that helps organizations manage and implement change quickly. Moreover, the change acceleration process benefits organizations, by making quicker and sustainable changes. It was specially designed to accelerate those places where organizations adapt to change while ensuring the transformation is sustainable, leading to a smooth transition, and long-term success. The change acceleration process focuses on the human and technical aspects of change. It is specifically designed to enhance the effectiveness of the change process, helping people and organizations adapt to new technologies, strategies, and structures.
Seven steps for the change acceleration process:
The seven steps for the cap are given below:
1. Leading Change:
The first step is getting leadership on board to drive the change process because leaders are essential in guiding the transformation. Therefore, tAlhe organization’s leadership needs to show a strong commitment to supporting change. If the organization lacks strong leadership commitment to change then there is the risk of failure.
2. Creating a shared need:
Next, make sure that everyone understands why the urgent change is necessary. As people must understand why the change is accepted and implemented, and what could happen if nothing changes.
3. Creating a Vision:
Leadership must present the impact of a clear vision on the organization after a successful transformational change. The outcomes must have genuine reasons and be widely accepted.
4. Building momentum towards the need:
The next step is momentum needs to be built toward the need for change and it includes engaging, planning and identifying. Analyzing the necessary, and important changes are also very importat. Therefore, this step involves all the key stakeholders in the change process.
5. Making the Change Last:
The main challenge here is to maintain the gain. In this step, you ensure that the changes are not temporary but are embedded in the organizational cultures and structure for a long time. Here you learn from your mistakes and adjust the initiative as needed. This step is transforming step the change into HOW WE DO THINGS HERE. This will help to make the change more permanent and sustain success.
6. Monitoring progress:
Monitor how the change initiative is progressing and celebrating, if it is successful then it will help you to cement the change in the organization. Set benchmarks to measure their success regularly and objectively.
7. Changing Structures and Systems:
To make the change permanent, infrastructure must be set up to support the change. If the structure of the organization is set up to support the previous state of the organization, it must be updated to support the future vision of the organization.
Example of CAP: New Software system implementation
1. Establishing a sense of urgency:
The companies recognize that their current software is outdated so management communicates the need for a change and explains the benefits of adopting a new software.
2. Developing a strategy:
The guiding coalition(the group of individuals in the organization who are the social leaders of the change initiatives) works together to create a vision, of how the new software improves the company’s operations and provides benefits.
3. Vision Communication:
The leadership team shares the vision of new software with all employees and explain to them how it enhances the efficiency and productivity of the company. Multiple communication channels like meetings, emails, and training centers are used to understand employees and also buy into the vision.
4. Action empowering:
Obstacles to change are identified, for example, employees are concerned about learning the new system. Therefore, the companies provide training sessions to employees about the new system and the employees feel more confident in changing the software system.
5. Generate short-term wins:
The company celebrates small victories such as the department successfully transitioning to a new software and organizational wins build momentum and confidence to support the change.
6. New approaches in culture:
With time, new software usage has become part of company culture. Moreover, the company’s standard operations are also incorporated by it.