Preparing Your Community (and Yourself!) for Systems Change
- Leah Pouw
- Jul 1
- 3 min read
First, let's understand why implementation matters
Thoughtful implementation planning increases the success rate of strategies by providing clear direction and structure. Effective implementation planning supports the systems change and improved outcomes in AOK Network communities.
Planning builds local capacity to manage complex work, allowing staff to adapt and respond to evolving needs. Moreover, prior planning helps systems change sustain over time, even as staff members or contextual factors shift.
Imagine you're trying to lead a big project — like planning a huge event, redesigning your landscaping, or improving something in your community. Change is hard, right? People might resist it, get confused, or not know where to start.
That’s where John Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model comes in. It’s a simple way to help people work together to make real, lasting change.
John Kotter is a change management expert, teacher and author who helps people understand how to make big changes in their schools, jobs, or communities. In his book Leading Change, Kotter explains eight simple steps that can help groups work together to reach a shared goal and make improvements that last.
Step 1: Create a Sense of Urgency Help people understand why change is important now. Show them why doing nothing could be a problem. Think: “If we don’t fix this, kids might miss out on a brighter future.” Example: If workgroup members skip planning meetings, you might show how low attendance affects team morale and children in the community.
Step 2: Build a Guiding Team Get a group of motivated and respected people who believe in the change and can help make it happen. Think of them as your project squad — people others trust and who get things done.
Step 3: Create a Clear Vision Explain what you’re trying to do and why. Keep it simple and exciting. Instead of saying “We’re improving community systems,” say “We are building a better community for every child to succeed.”
Step 4: Communicate the Vision Keep talking about the change in a way that gets people on board. Use stories, social media, flyers, or meeting presentations — whatever works! The more you talk about it, the more people will believe it’s possible.
Step 5: Remove Barriers Make it easier for people to join in. If something or someone is blocking progress, figure out a way around it. Maybe workgroup members need executive leadership support, or maybe the technology isn’t working — solve those problems together.
Step 6: Celebrate Quick Wins Show everyone that it’s working! Celebrate small successes early on to build momentum. If your first community event has double the attendance, celebrate it! Post pictures and thank the team.
Step 7: Keep Going Don’t stop after one win and don't celebrate victory too soon. Use that energy to keep making improvements. One successful change doesn’t mean you're done — what’s next?
Step 8: Make It Stick Make the change part of the culture so it lasts even after you're gone. Maybe you write a report or guide, train others, or make it a part of the local policies — that way, the change continues.
Whether you're fixing a problem, starting something new, or just trying to make your school a better place, leading change takes teamwork, vision, and persistence. Kotter’s 8 steps help turn ideas into real impact. As Guy Kawasaki says, "Ideas are easy; implementation is hard." These 8 steps will get you and your team prepared for successful implementation of local systems change, today.
Key questions to be sure everyone is prepared for success:
What cross-functional groups are in place to support our systems change work?
What do we need to put in place over the first 90 days?
What leadership skills are needed - technical vs. adaptive leadership?
Is each person ready, willing, and able to solve problems, remove barriers, and keep things moving forward? If not, what is needed to bring them along?
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