Final answer:
According to Kotter, to successfully implement organizational change, leaders should first establish a sense of urgency. This step is crucial for motivating stakeholders and building consensus, which is necessary for subsequent steps in Kotter's change model.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Kotter, leaders planning to implement organizational change should first establish a sense of urgency. This is a critical step as it helps to motivate and rally the support of stakeholders, thereby building a foundation for the entire change process. The sense of urgency is pivotal for overcoming complacency and resistance to change. It also aligns closely with the concept that strong social cohesion and effective communication between community leaders and the community-at-large are essential for community-wide consensus-building for change.
Once a sense of urgency has been established, the next steps in Kotter’s change model include forming a powerful coalition, creating a vision for change, communicating the vision, empowering broad-based action, generating short-term wins, consolidating gains and producing more change, and finally, anchoring new approaches in the culture.
It's important for leaders to identify and communicate the need for change by considering the 5 W's (Who, What, Where, When, Why) to make the goal specific and to shape the narrative in a way that resonates with their audience, taking into account social, cultural, or linguistic factors. Recognizing the importance of each step in Kotter's model and the interconnectedness of these steps can lead to successful and sustainable organizational change.