Few things in business are as difficult as executing change.  In fact the only thing more difficult than the change itself is making it stick.  Change can be frustrating, especially when it doesn’t become permanent and a company reverts back to its traditional ways, leaving change advocates feeling a bit like Sisyphus, ceaselessly pushing the same boulder up the same hill, only to have it roll back down again.

How can you create lasting change and prevent a change from becoming a fad or “flavor of the day”?  Change is a process and like all processes contains several phases.  To create successful and lasting change, managers and leaders must do the following:

• Create a sense of urgency
• Recruit senior level support
• Develop a clear and practical vision
• Maintain frequent and consistent communication of the vision
• Eliminate obstacles that block the vision
• Celebrate short term wins
• Do not declare victory too early
• Change the corporate culture