Once a vision is created, political support and commitment must be developed. According to
Kotter and Cohen (2002) the goal of this step is to get everyone involved in the change effort. In
order to accomplish this goal, the vision must be spread and communicated so as to create
sufficient awareness among constituents (Hansson and Klefsjo, 2003). One of the most
influential ways that this is done is through “walking the talk.” It is absolutely essential that key
change leaders are true to the vision because research has found that the words and actions of
persons with firm-based authority can either “make or break” the change effort (Blumentritt,
2004). For example, if your firm’s new vision is to be innovative and open to the ideas of all
employees, it is imperative that change leaders practice listening to new ideas and not shooting
them down. In this example, the change leader’s decision to listen to a new idea, even if it is
outrageous, can speak volumes of credibility to employees. On the other hand, if the change
leader chooses to outright reject the employee’s idea in a way that is inconsistent with the vision,
employees will have a hard time believing in the change effort.
In order to develop the necessary political support, key stakeholders must be identified and
influenced. Influencing stakeholders includes generating urgency about the change and also
getting them committed to the change effort itself. In order for change to succeed all questions
must be answered. Everyone who has any stake in the company will have questions and the
change leaders must address those questions clearly and quickly, addressing their emotions. For
example, shareholders will be concerned about the value of their stocks, and it will be the change
leaders’ responsibility to reassure them that the firm will do its best not only to maintain but also
increase company value. In this stage it is important to address the anxiety of those who will be
experiencing the change the most (Kotter and Cohen, 2002). They must understand the firm’s
motives for change as well as expected outcomes.