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Review
Do you feel like the only constant in your organization's life is change itself? Well, you're not alone. John Kotter and Dan Cohen share a process with their readers to support organizations in this ever constant culture of change. We found their book to be easy to read and engage in their concepts. Kotter and Cohen share some interesting, unique and creative ideas of how to move organizations through the difficult process of change.

We found their eight steps to effective change to be relatively simple to understand. The implementation of these eight steps may be a bit more difficult. Kotter and Cohen help the reader with the implementation process by sharing numerous real life examples of what organizations around the country did to effectively implement change. Their key to supporting the change process is how to engage employee's emotions in the change. They discuss the importance of engaging the emotional side of employees in change by providing clear vision of what the change is, why the change needs to occur, and how it will happen. Their process places a tremendous amount of emphasis on communication and empowering employees to implement the change.

"The Heart of Change" was a very enjoyable book to read. It provided a clear process to an issue that every organization across the world today is facing. Kotter and Cohen also provide clear examples of how to implement their process and support the change process in being effective. We believe their greatest message is engaging employee's emotions to understand the change. This will encourage staff to move toward action, which is ultimately how effective change occurs. When people buy in to the new direction and engage themselves personally in it, there is a great chance that the change will succeed.

Summary of Main Points
The main theme of Kotter and Cohen's "The Heart of Change" is "why people succeed and fail at large-scale change". The authors suggest 8 steps to successful change implementation. The essence of their theory is the distinction between "see-feel-change & analysis-think-change". The See-Feel-Change Method engages people's emotions in the new direction. Kotter and Cohen suggest that it is critical to show employees the need for the change by capturing the emotions in the issue at hand. This process motivates staff to action based on there feelings. The Analysis-Think-Change Method analyses the problem and shares the data with employees. Based on this data staff are expected embrace the change and make it happen.

Kotter and Cohen share a belief that effective change does not occur due to facts, numbers, or data. People are moved toward change when their emotions are engaged. When people feel the need for change and understand how the change will benefit them and the organization and then have a clear vision for how the change will occur, Kotter and Cohen suggest it is at this point that people are moved toward action and change is effective.

Kotter and Cohen share eight steps to achieving effective change:

* Step 1 - Increase Urgency

People start telling each other, "Let's go, we need to change things!"
Showing others the need for the change with a compelling object that they can - - - - actually see, touch, and feel.
Showing people dramatic evidence from outside the organization that - - - -
- demonstrates that change is required.
- Looking constantly for cheap and easy ways to reduce complacency.
- Never underestimating how much complacency, fear, and anger exists, even in good organizations.

* Step 2 - Build the Guiding Team

A group powerful enough to guide a big change is formed and they start to work together well.
Showing enthusiasm and commitment (or helping someone do that) to help draw the right people into the group.
Modeling the trust and teamwork needed in the group (or helping someone do that).
Structuring meeting formats for the guiding team so as to minimize frustration and increase trust.
Putting your energy into step 1 (raising urgency) if you cannot take on the step 2 challenge and if the right people will not.

* Step 3 - Get the Vision Right

The guiding team develops the right vision and strategy for the change effort.
Trying to see - literally - possible futures.
Visions that are so clear that they can be articulated in one minute or written on one page.
Visions that are moving - such as a commitment to serving people.
Strategies that are forthright bold enough to make bold visions a reality.
Paying careful attention to the strategic question of how quickly to introduce change.

* Step 4 - Communicate for Buy-In

People begin to buy-in to the change, and this shows in their behavior.
Keeping communication simple and heartfelt, not complex and technocratic.
Doing your homework before communicating, especially to understand what people are feeling.
Speaking to anxieties, confusion, anger, and distrust.
Ridding communication channels of junk so that important messages can go through.
Using new technologies to help people see the vision (intranet, satellite, etc.).

* Step 5 - Empower Action

More people feel able to act, and do act, on the vision.
Finding individuals with change experience who can bolster people's self-confidence with we-won-you-can-too anecdotes.
Recognition and reward systems that inspire, promote optimism, and build self-confidence.
Feedback that can help people make better vision-related decisions.
"Retooling" disempowered managers by giving them new jobs that clearly show the need for change.

* Step 6 - Create Short-Term Wins

Momentum builds as people try to fulfill the vision, while fewer and fewer resist change.
Early wins that come fast.
Wins that are as visible as possible to as many people as possible.
Wins that are meaningful to others - the more deeply meaningful the better.
Early wins that speak to powerful players whose support you need and do not yet have.
Wins that can be achieved cheaply and easily, even if they seem small compared with the grand vision.

* Step 7 - Don't Let Up

People make wave after wave of changes until the vision is fulfilled.
Aggressively ridding yourself of work that wears you down - tasks that were relevant in the past but not now, tasks that can be delegated.
Looking constantly for ways to keep urgency up.
Using new situations opportunistically to launch the next wave of change.
As always - show them, show them, show them.

* Step 8 - Make Change Stick

New and winning behavior continues despite the pull of tradition, turnover of change leaders, etc.
Not stopping at step 7 - it isn't over until the changes have roots.
Using new employee orientation to compellingly show recruits what the organization really cares about.
Using the promotions process to place people who act according to the new norms into influential and visible positions.
Telling vivid stories over and over about the new organization, what it does, and why it succeeds.
Making absolutely sure you have the continuity of behavior and results that help a new culture grow.

In summary, Kotter and Cohen share a process that is intended to engage and involve people from throughout an organization in the change process. They suggest that connecting employee's emotions to the new vision or direction is the most effective way to ensure that the change is implemented into the organization's culture.

Call To Action
After reading this book, the following five points are a must do for you as leaders in the 21st century:

* You need to plan design change intentionally with a well thought out plan.

* You need to engage the organization's emotions to create effective change.

* You need to understand that the effectiveness of change depends on the involvement of the stakeholders.

* You need to implement clear communication channels for change to occur.

Once a change process has begun, you must be prepared to stick with it to see it fully implemented into a culture of an organization.