Applying the Kotter Eight Step Change Model to New England Wire and Cable

Companies, unlike seeds, have to change with the current environment, or they may be extinct. Charles Darwin briefly described this point. "It is neither the most feasible species nor the wise species, it is the species most sensitive to change." In a case study, "another person's money" was on the scene. Shareowners of New England Wire & Cable (NWC) are being offered to vote for proxies. But before voting, we had the opportunity to speak with Chairman and CEO Andrew "Jorgy" Jorgenson and potential major shareholder Lawrence "Larry the Liquidator" Garfield.

John Kotter of Harvard Business School is one of the most influential people today, and he uses an eight-step change model of Cotter as the most effective way to implement changes within the organization. The eight steps in order are: creation of a sense of urgency, formation of a strong alliance, creation of a vision for change, removal of obstacles, creation of short-term victories, Fulfilling the role and strengthening the corporate culture Kotter believes that by performing these steps in the correct order, if done correctly, Kotter can bring about permanent and successful changes to every business. The choice of this change model is based on a number of factors, including success rate, order of concrete direction, and ability to base on existing success.

A useful model, as outlined in Kotter (1995) "Leadership Change", provides an overview of the eight-step process, including recommendations for supporting organizational transformation. The Kotter model helps to understand that the change process takes time rather than immediate. For project leaders and communication staff it is important to understand that the necessary steps to support change planning will be carried out at all stages of the project. Each step recognizes an important principle of identification, and people can feel a change by seeing change.

After Lewin's model, many other writers upgraded his theory to make it more effective, but the base still exists. One of the most popular change management models is Kotter's eight-level model (Kotter, 1995). According to Kotter, the eight steps he suggested are necessary to correctly implement the change. If you skip one of the eight steps, it may look like an acceleration process, but it does not improve the effectiveness of the change. (Singer, 1963) Many new changes have been introduced in stages 5 to 7. This is similar to the changing stage of the Lewin model. The final stage is the foundation of change to business or organization's culture. The success and improvement of the organization depends on the correct follow-up of the sequence. (Kotter, 1996)