Process (CAP) – And How it Works for Your Company

Overview: Change Acceleration Process

Organizational change is always a difficult process no matter how big or small your organization is. Any form of disruption can impact every member of the organization in one way or another. However, this is an inevitable step that all companies must go through if they are to experience a state of improvement and overall success. 

This is where the Change Acceleration Process (CAP) model enters the picture. It is a model designed to accelerate the implementation of change in order to achieve your desired goal within your desired time frame. It is a framework of principles and tools you need to implement your plan of action for quicker, more sustainable changes. 

This is a crucial transition phase, especially when it comes to planning the future of an organization. But this change is necessary in order to make room for improvement. If you are planning to enter this phase, make sure you plan ahead. This will help to create as little disruption within your organization as possible. You will be able to anticipate any challenge and align your actions to suit your business needs. 

The Phases of Change Acceleration Process

The Change Acceleration Process model is all about leading change by changing the internal systems and structures of an organization. It aims to answer the following questions: 

• Why is there a need for this change to take place? 
• How do you overcome resistance, especially from stakeholders?
• How will you communicate and implement this model of change? 

There are a total of 7 phases that you need to go through in order to effectively and efficiently achieve the benefits of undergoing this change. They are outlined below: 

1. Leading Change

Leadership is most vital during your change initiatives. It is important to exhibit strong, committed and authentic leadership throughout the duration of your change process in order to have higher chances of success. 

How can leaders demonstrate this? You should be cautious about your message and your actions and ensure it is consistent with the change you are advocating for the organization. When there is a lack of commitment from the leadership level, there is a significant risk that your organization will fail at this initiative. 

2. Creating a Shared Need

Change is a disruption. Therefore, it is natural for the stakeholders to resist change and aspire to maintain the status quo. It is the leader’s responsibility to demonstrate the shared need for the entire organization. This must be supported by a reason – whether an opportunity or threat is looming. 

The reason that you choose for the shared need for change should be compelling enough for the stakeholders to resonate with it. The goal in this phase is to get everyone within the organization on the same boat.

3. Shaping a Vision

Once you can get everyone on board with the shared need, the leadership must provide a clear statement of the direction that the organization will take. This statement must detail the who, what, why, and when in your action plan towards achieving your desired outcome. 

The statement of action must be widely understood and shared among your peers and subordinates. At the same time, it must be measurable and concrete. This could be the single most crucial component of the success of your change initiative. 

4. Mobilizing Commitment 

This is the part where you put your plans into action. With a detailed plan of action and with the support of the management, you can begin to implement your strategy. Get the team members that offer the lowest resistance on board so that you can build momentum. This is called the influence strategy. As soon as the rest start to see results, they will adopt and contribute towards the change initiative. 

5. Making Change Last

The phases prior to this are all about accelerating your adoption of change within the organization. As soon as you have implemented the change, the challenge now is how you can sustain it. The goal is to keep striving with your current efforts and action in order to establish a new norm within your organization. 

At the same time, you must continue to assess the results of your new initiatives so you can make tweaks as you go. This will inform you of any possibility of making more changes and the best practices to adopt before you go for a broader rollout. 

6. Monitoring Process

In an effort to sustain the changes you have implemented, you need to accompany it with constant measuring and monitoring action. You want to build on the momentum that you currently have. You need to pay close attention to the level of acceptance that you have developed since you made the change initiative. Do not be afraid to take corrective actions where you see fit. At the same time, you need to set benchmarks and work towards realizing them. 

7. Changing Systems and Structures

This is one of the most challenging parts of implementing the change acceleration process (CAP) model. The only way to see real change in your organization is if you evaluate your existing management practices and realign them to fit your new initiatives. Every aspect of your organization should be in proper alignment with each other to ensure success. 

By implementing change in the current state of your organization, you prevent the possibility of your business going back to its old ways. You need to be forward-thinking and focus on making these changes permanent. 

How to Ensure Success

Implementing the Change Acceleration Process (CAP) model into your organization is difficult, to say the least. An important factor for success is adaptability. Keep in mind that your goals may change over time, especially as you gain better insight into your change initiatives. It is fine if you do adapt your changes, as long as your decisions are data-driven. 

The implementation of this model is one of the best ways to enable your business or organization to compete. You can implement changes and improvements in a systematic way and within a relatively short period of time. This can be very useful when you are part of a rapidly evolving market.