1. Anticipatory Change Reactive Change Crisis Change
• Strategic performance is healthy
• The need for change is uncertain
• Internal commitment for change is low
The lack of internal pressure, combined with an
organizational performance that has yet to slide
makes it difficult to sell in any strategic altering or
re-alignment at this stage. Time & resources will
allow the agency to go deeper into the methods
outlined in the reactive change category, but a few
other factors will be important: your key client
contact’s credibility within their organization, &
your ability to deliver a strong recommendation.
• Strategic performance is sliding
• Need for change is becoming clear, not certain
• Internal commitment for change is mixed
At this stage, some of the client’s team (and
hopefully your key contact) is beginning to see the
need for change, but you still may have to help sell
in the need for strategic direction “altering”. In
addition to key methods for showing industry,
competitive, consumer and technological shifts, it
will also be important to project multiple future
scenarios for the clients strategy using existing as
the base case.
• Strategic performance is bad
• The need for change is clear by everyone
• Internal commitment for change is high
Fast, focused and decisive action is required at
this stage, as the client is most likely facing
internal and external challenges. The client will be
bringing in an outside “change agent”, so it will be
an interesting time for the agency to be involved, if
they are even allowed to be. Any agency strategic
engagements must be cognoscente of time and
the client’s depleted resources as this stage.
Reactive
change
Crisis
change
Readiness for
change
Time
StrategicPerformance
Anticipatory
change
Strategic capability
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