Post-initiative success has not been reached until the workers are performing at a higher level than they were
prior to the beginning of the project. If the workers are still struggling to maintain the pace of performance
they could deliver prior to the change, there’s still work to be done to ensure a successful change—even if
the system changes have been fully implemented. When steps aren’t taken to reach this stage, workers may
not understand their new job roles or how to operate in the new system. They may then create workarounds
instead of adopting the new system or process, which is inefficient, expensive, and bad for morale.12
The goal of OCM is not to rid the workplace of the impacts from the change curve; rather, it is to diminish the
impacts of the curve. Expecting OCM activities to erase all negative emotional response to change is unreasonable
or impossible, but it is reasonable to use OCM techniques to reduce the depth of the curve in order to create
a minimal impact on business performance and to help workers reach acceptance within a quicker timeframe.
The diminished impacts to business performance over time as a result of using OCM techniques are depicted
in Figure 2, the Improved Change Curve.