1) “In Crisis” as seen by whom? the answer leads to very different strategies. If the Sponsor sees – it great. If those affected by it see it, multiple levels of intervention depending on who does feel the urgency.

2) I usually get stakeholders involved early in pegging the starting point of change in relation to what I call my “Degree of Diffculty” chart. It has 3 major interactive dimensions:

1) Congruence- the distance from the status quo to that to which you are bringing folks

2) Complexity- The number of moving and varying parts that have to be aligned simutaneously

3) Centrality- How critical is the the success of the chance to strategic survival

-low ratings in each dimension require minimal intervention

-high interdependant ratings in all 3 require carefully scaled strategies and tactics keyed to the organization’s capacity for change, possibly over a protracted time frame with high degrees of vertical and horizontal organizational involvement,committment and alignment.

Helping folks know what they are, and need to be, up against helps set expectations about the trade offs to practically achieving their strategic intent.

and that’s the way I see it