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Sustaining Change in Business: How CEOs Can Keep Momentum Alive and Embed Transformation

by | Sep 25, 2025 | Business - General, BusinessFitness, Communication, Culture, Disruption, Growth, Leadership, Motivation, Productivity, Profitability, Risk, Strategy, Success | 0 comments

Sustaining change in business symbolised by a photo-real image of a sleek new multi-lane bridge next to an old narrow closed off one.
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“It isn’t the changes themselves that people resist. It’s the losses that they see or fear as a result of those changes.” – William Bridges

Introduction: Why Sustaining Change is the Real Test

Six months after your last major change initiative launched, how many of those ‘new ways of working’ are still actually working? If you’re honest, probably fewer than you’d hoped.

Sustaining change in business is often the hardest part of transformation. It’s not the resistance at the start, nor the communication breakdowns mid-way, although both are significant reasons for the failure of change initiatives, but the slow erosion of momentum once the spotlight moves on.

Launching transformation is the easy part – embedding it into the day-to-day fabric of your organisation is where leadership is truly tested.

In our earlier articles, we explored three essentials of change management:

This final article ties everything together: how to keep the momentum alive so change becomes the new normal rather than a short-lived initiative.

McKinsey research has shown that only about 30% of transformations succeed in the long term. The rest either stall, regress, or fail to deliver their promised benefits. For SMEs, where resource constraints make every initiative count, losing momentum can mean wasted investment and missed opportunities.

So, how do you ensure that your change doesn’t just start well, but endures? Let’s explore the psychology of momentum, the systems that sustain it, and the leadership behaviours that make it last.

The Psychology of Momentum: Why Excitement Naturally Fades

Why Momentum Fades – The Pull of the Familiar

Human nature leans towards familiarity – in fact, our brains are wired this way for safety. The novelty of change creates a temporary surge of enthusiasm, but once the adrenaline fades, people default to the safety of routine. This is where cultural regression creeps in.

The change curve doesn’t end at implementation; it continues through phases of integration, consolidation, and either embedding or erosion, and that initial optimism gives way to doubt, fatigue, and, if leaders are not vigilant, quiet backsliding. The problem is that most leaders focus intensely on the dramatic early stages but lose focus during the less glamorous later phases where real transformation occurs.

Jason Goldberg, in The Art of Scale, points out that as organisations grow, communication naturally breaks down: “Too many people are talking too infrequently about too many things. Critical issues slip through the cracks, confusion sets in, and it becomes harder to move forward.” That confusion is fertile ground for regression.

The Cost of Lost Momentum

When change isn’t sustained, the costs mount quickly:

  • Wasted investment in new systems, training, or consultancy.
  • Damaged morale and trust as employees lose faith in leadership promises.
  • Rising Cynicism means the next initiative meets scepticism before it starts.
  • Missed strategic goals and poor ROI.
  • Competitive disadvantage while others move forward, you stagnate.
  • Eroded credibility with customers and partners when promises are not delivered.

The SME Advantage in Sustaining Change

While large organisations struggle under bureaucracy, SMEs have natural advantages:

  • Leadership proximity – CEOs are closer to the workforce and can influence culture directly.
  • Faster feedback loops – problems surface quickly, enabling course correction.
  • Agility – fewer layers mean decisions can be implemented without endless approvals.

Related reading:

Aligning Systems and Structures: The Foundation of Permanent Change

Here’s a fundamental truth: if your systems don’t change, your people will inevitably slip back to old behaviours. Embedding organisational change requires structural alignment, not just good intentions.

Start with your processes and workflows. Update standard operating procedures, job descriptions, and reporting structures to reflect new ways of working. If you’ve implemented a customer-first approach but your sales team’s bonus structure still rewards volume over satisfaction, you’re creating a contradiction that will undermine your efforts.

Visual reinforcement matters. Dashboards, checklists, and workflow prompts should reflect new practices, making the desired behaviour the easiest path forward. Build change requirements into performance reviews and key performance indicators. What gets measured gets managed, and what gets rewarded gets repeated.

Recalibrate reward systems carefully. Avoid the common trap of continuing to reward legacy behaviours that contradict your change. If you’re moving towards collaborative working but individual bonuses still dominate, you’re sending mixed signals. Create team-level incentives that encourage the behaviours you want to see.

Watch for ‘shadow systems’ – the informal workarounds employees create when new processes feel cumbersome. These often indicate that your new system needs refinement rather than enforcement.

For SMEs with limited resources, focus on the highest-impact changes first. You don’t need enterprise-level systems; you need alignment between what you say matters and how your business actually operates. And remember, people will always default to what the systems reward.

Quite simply, if your systems don’t change, your people won’t either.

As Jason Goldberg notes, scaling successfully depends on clear frameworks and disciplined execution. Without aligned systems, even the best strategy will fail.

Related reading:

Leadership Consistency: Walking the Talk Over Time

Change leadership doesn’t end at launch – it intensifies. CEOs and senior leaders must model new behaviours consistently, especially during the inevitable challenging periods when reverting to old ways seems easier.

Leadership alignment is crucial. Ensure your leadership team speaks with one voice about priorities and expectations. Mixed messages from different leaders create confusion and provide excuses for backsliding.

Middle managers are your critical “change anchors.” They’re close enough to daily operations to influence behaviour, while senior enough to maintain authority. Invest in their understanding and commitment to sustaining change. They’re often the difference between success and gradual erosion.

Implement regular check-ins, pulse surveys, and feedback loops to maintain visibility into how change is embedding. Don’t assume silence means success; it might mean people have given up trying to make new approaches work. And be aware of informal cues – an offhand joke, or dismissive remark, for example – they really do matter and can undo months of formal messaging.

Consider board-level oversight for major transformations. Having governance structures that monitor progress creates accountability and demonstrates long-term commitment to stakeholders.

Related reading:

Building Change into Culture: Making It “How We Do Things Here”

Culture ultimately determines what sticks and what slips away. Ensuring lasting change in organisational culture requires embedding new values into the fabric of daily interactions, decision-making, and storytelling.

Connect change initiatives to your organisation’s core purpose and values – its very DNA. When people understand how new approaches serve something bigger than process improvement, they’re more likely to persist through difficulties.

To underscore this, in your decision-making, filter choices through the lens of the new values and strategy.

Stories and rituals become powerful cultural anchors. Share success stories that highlight how new approaches have made a difference. Create rituals that reinforce desired behaviours – perhaps starting meetings differently, celebrating specific achievements, or changing how decisions are documented and communicated.

For example, if you’re embedding customer-centricity, regularly share customer feedback in team meetings, display customer success stories prominently, and ensure customer impact is considered in major decisions. Make customer focus visible and celebrated, not just stated in value statements.

Related reading:

Monitoring & Measurement: Your Change Scorecard

What gets measured gets managed, and change implementation success requires systematic tracking beyond traditional business metrics. Develop practical KPIs that reflect both adoption rates and outcome improvements.

Track behavioural indicators: Are people actually using new processes? Are decision-making patterns shifting as intended? Monitor both leading indicators (training completion, process adherence) and lagging indicators (customer satisfaction, efficiency improvements).

Create change scorecards that provide regular visibility into progress. Include both quantitative measures and qualitative feedback from pulse surveys and team discussions.

Apply the CLEAR communication model from the second article in this series to sustaining change: maintain Consistent messaging, Listen actively to feedback, Engage in two-way dialogue, Acknowledge challenges, and Reinforce the vision regularly.

Quarterly reviews are essential to sustain momentum. Use these sessions to assess what’s working, identify areas of regression, and adjust approaches accordingly.

Technology as Change Enabler: Simple Tools for Lasting Impact

Don’t overlook how technology can make new behaviours easier than old ones. Simple digital tools can automate reminders, streamline new processes, and provide real-time feedback that supports change adoption.

Frameworks you can consider include:

  • Resistance Heat Maps – track not just adoption but sustained use over time.
  • Feedback loops and retrospectives – short, regular reviews to keep learning cycles active.
  • Clear communication rhythms – weekly updates, monthly reviews, quarterly reflections.
  • Learning velocity tracking – as Jason Goldberg highlights in The Art of Scale, organisations that learn and adapt quickly sustain change more effectively.

For SMEs, this doesn’t mean expensive enterprise systems. Consider workflow management tools, communication platforms, or basic automation that reduces friction in new processes. The key is making the new way of working more convenient than the old way.

The right tool is the one you’ll actually use consistently. Simplicity often beats complexity.

Related reading:

Overcoming Change Fatigue: Maintaining Energy for the Long Haul

Change fatigue is a real and often underestimated barrier to sustaining transformation. Even after initial adoption, people can become worn down by continuous initiatives, emotional strain, and the pressures of balancing old and new demands; the organisation then risks slipping back into “business as usual,” especially if the leaders are distracted, too. For CEOs, recognising and managing this fatigue is essential to keeping momentum alive.

Signs of fatigue include:

  • Rising stress levels and absenteeism.
  • Teams seem tired and there’s declining enthusiasm for initiatives.
  • A growing sense of “we’ve seen this all before.”
  • Progress slows and momentum stalls.

How to Counter Change Fatigue

  • Set a realistic pace – allow periods of consolidation between waves of change.
  • Celebrate wins – mark progress publicly and frequently, no matter how small.
  • Keep training and support ongoing – don’t treat it as a one-off event.
  • Use MBWA (Management by Walking Around) – maintain visibility; informal leadership presence reassures teams.
  • Scenario planning – avoid overload by sequencing initiatives and anticipating pinch points.

When fatigue is managed proactively, momentum is renewed rather than lost. Keep this on your risk register and monitor it until the change is firmly embedded and becomes second nature.

Related reading:

Continuous Improvement as a Sustaining Force

Change should not be viewed as an isolated event. Instead, it becomes part of an organisation’s DNA when continuous improvement is built into its operating rhythm.

A learning culture supports adaptability. When people are encouraged to learn, experiment, and improve, change becomes second nature. Encourage teams to identify and act on improvement opportunities.

The Toyota Kaizen approach shows how small, ongoing changes can prevent regression and add up to significant change over time. Think of it as evolution rather than revolution. For SMEs, this might look like:

  • Weekly “what worked, what didn’t” reviews.
  • Suggestion schemes that actually lead to visible outcomes.
  • Tracking learning velocity – the speed at which your business converts insight into action.

Continuous improvement reinforces the message that change is not temporary; it is how the business evolves.

Related reading:

Common Pitfalls

Even well-planned initiatives can falter if leaders fall into familiar traps. Here’s what to watch for:

  • Declaring victory too early – embedding organisation change takes months, not weeks.
  • Inconsistent leadership messaging – undermines credibility, causes confusion.
  • Failing to address skill gaps – leaves staff anxious and disengaged.
  • Ignoring the emotional journey – assuming compliance means commitment.
  • Overloading teams – too many changes at once will create fatigue and resentment.
  • Not celebrating milestones – without recognition, effort feels unnoticed.
  • Neglecting external stakeholders – they, too, are affected by change and need to be kept in the loop.

Each of these pitfalls accelerates regression. Avoiding them requires vigilance, humility, and a structured approach.

Related reading:

A 30-60-90 Day Sustaining Change Checklist

30 Days Post-Launch:

  • Conduct first pulse survey on change adoption.
  • Address immediate friction points in new processes.
  • Celebrate early wins and share success stories.
  • Ensure leadership team demonstrates consistent behaviours.

60 Days:

  • Review performance metrics and system alignment.
  • Identify and address skill gaps.
  • Adjust reward systems if necessary.
  • Conduct team feedback sessions.

90 Days:

  • Comprehensive change scorecard review.
  • Cultural assessment: are new behaviours becoming habitual?
  • Plan for next phase of reinforcement or evolution.
  • Document lessons learned for future initiatives.

Case Studies & Stories

Microsoft – Embedding Cultural Renewal

Under Satya Nadella, Microsoft shifted from a “know-it-all” to a “learn-it-all” culture. This wasn’t a one-off announcement but a sustained emphasis on curiosity, collaboration, and continuous learning – embedded through hiring, evaluation, and leadership behaviour.

Yahoo – A Lesson in Lost Momentum

In contrast, Yahoo suffered repeated leadership churn and inconsistent strategies. With no sustained cultural alignment, change efforts collapsed, and the company was eventually acquired by Verizon.

SME Example – Regional Distributor

A mid-sized distributor adopted digital tools for inventory and logistics. Instead of announcing a “big switch,” leadership embedded usage into performance reviews, celebrated early adopters, and replaced outdated processes systematically. Within a year, digital workflows became the unquestioned norm.

Conclusion – From Change to Continuity

Sustaining change in business isn’t about the launch. It’s about what happens six months later, when attention has drifted and the excitement is gone.

Sustaining change momentum requires three critical elements: aligned systems that support new behaviours, consistent leadership that models desired approaches over time, and cultural embedding that makes change “how we do things here.”

The real mark of leadership isn’t launching change successfully – it’s making change stick when the initial excitement fades and daily pressures mount. This requires shifting from change management to change leadership, from project thinking to capability building.

Remember, the competitive advantage doesn’t come from implementing change; it comes from sustaining it whilst others slip back to old ways.

Key takeaways:

  • Align systems and incentives – people follow what’s measured and rewarded.
  • Leadership consistency is non-negotiable – walk the talk long after launch.
  • Culture is the anchor – embed new values into everyday habits and stories.
  • Monitor relentlessly – use scorecards, reviews, and feedback to track progress.
  • Guard against fatigue – celebrate wins, pace initiatives, and keep support alive.

Next Steps:

  • Review your current change initiatives: Where are they in their lifecycle?
  • Assess your systems: Do they support or hinder new behaviours?
  • Evaluate leadership messaging: Is it consistent and visible?
  • Reinforce cultural anchors: Are values and stories being used effectively?

Your turn:

“What practical steps have you taken to make sure your change initiatives stick rather than slip back into old habits?”

Share your thoughts in the comments, DM me, or feel free to drop me an email directly if you’d like a more private conversation.

FAQs – Sustaining Change in Business

1. How long does it typically take for change to become permanently embedded in an SME?

Most research suggests 6–12 months for basic behaviour change and 12–24 months for cultural transformation, depending on complexity. SMEs often see faster results due to closer leadership proximity and shorter communication chains, but rushing the process increases regression risk.

2. What are the early warning signs that change momentum is declining?

Watch for subtle signs: meetings reverting to old formats, people finding “exceptions” to new processes, decreased enthusiasm in communications, corner-cutting on new procedures, and informal complaints about “extra work.” These often appear 2–3 months after initial implementation.

3. How can leaders maintain change momentum without burning out their teams?

Pace initiatives with consolidation periods, celebrate small wins consistently, provide ongoing support and training, acknowledge the difficulty of change openly, and ensure new processes genuinely improve rather than complicate work. Balance challenge with support.

4. What’s the most effective way to measure change sustainability in smaller organisations?

Combine quantitative metrics (process adoption rates, performance improvements) with qualitative feedback (pulse surveys, informal conversations). Focus on behaviour indicators more than outcome metrics initially, as behaviours predict long-term success.

5. How should leaders handle resistance that emerges months after successful change implementation?

Address it immediately through direct conversation, understand root causes (often skill gaps or system friction), provide additional support, and reinforce the “why” behind changes. Late-stage resistance often indicates implementation issues rather than fundamental opposition.

6. What role should middle managers play in sustaining change momentum?

Middle managers are critical “change anchors” who bridge senior leadership vision with daily operations. They need clear authority to enforce new approaches, ongoing support to address team concerns, and recognition for sustaining rather than just implementing change.

7. How can SMEs sustain change momentum with limited resources?

Focus on high-impact system alignments first, leverage technology for automation and reminders, use peer support networks rather than extensive training programmes, and ensure leadership models desired behaviours consistently. Small, consistent actions often outperform large, sporadic efforts.

8. What’s the biggest mistake SME leaders make when trying to sustain change?

Declaring victory too early and shifting attention to new priorities before changes are fully embedded. Sustaining change in business requires sustained leadership focus, not just initial enthusiasm.

9. How can leaders prevent “change fatigue” in their organisations?

Communicate realistic timelines from the start, acknowledge the difficulty openly, pace initiatives with rest periods, celebrate progress regularly, provide ongoing skill development, and ensure changes genuinely improve rather than complicate work.

10. When should leaders consider that a change initiative has failed to stick and needs to be restarted?

If adoption rates fall below 60% after six months, if performance metrics show regression to previous levels, if informal “shadow systems” emerge to bypass new processes, or if team feedback consistently indicates the change isn’t working despite adequate support and time for adaptation.

 

If you’ve found these answers helpful and want to look more deeply into the subject of change management, you can explore the full article and more resources in the previous sections. And as always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below or reach out to me directly for further insights.

 

Want more tailored advice on scaling, transformation, change management or other issues in your business? Book a free 30-minute strategy session today and get personalised advice.

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This month, we’re exploring the topic of Change Management, with this being the fourth and final article in the series. The earlier ones, should you wish to review them, were:

> Mastering Change Management: How to Build an Organisation That Thrives on Transformation

> Effective Change Communication: How to Inspire Trust, Reduce Resistance, and Keep Your Team Aligned During Change

> Managing Resistance to Change: A CEO’s Guide to Turning Pushback into Progress

 

Stay tuned for further articles to help you take your business to the next level – or better yet, subscribe to my blog and receive the latest insights straight to your inbox. Click here to sign up or send me a note here and I’ll add you to the list.

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Related Posts

If you’d like to learn more about change management and the areas we’ve covered here, the following articles and posts might be of interest:

 

Backgrounders

Forbes – Strategies For Making Organizational Change Stick   

Harvard Business Review – The Emotional Strength You Need to Lead Through Change 

FastCompany – How to run your business when the only constant is change 

McKinsey – How to implement and sustain organizational change 

Inc. – Five Steps to Successful Organizational Change 

 

#BusinessFitness #ArtOfScale #Attitude #BusinessCommunication #BusinessGrowth #ChangeManagement #Communication #Culture #EmbeddingChange #Growth #Leadership #ScalingYourBusiness #Success  #QOTW

 

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