Kotter’s 8 Step Change Model
An organization’s ability to adapt is essential to survival in today’s competitive business environment. Adaptable businesses have a better chance of success and long-term value creation for their stakeholders. Internal and external factors, including technological innovations, economic shifts, geopolitical conflicts, environmental worries, and a general change in societal values, present opportunities and obstacles to organizational operations. In context, most organizations use Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model, a comprehensive framework emphasizing leadership, communication, and employee involvement to pioneer change. The model’s recognition that change is a process rather than an event makes it especially applicable to diverse organizational situations (Tanner, 2023). The paper focuses on an organizational shift made by Warby Parker, a direct-to-consumer eyewear company in New York City. The 2020 COVID-19 epidemic wreaked havoc on the retail sector, prompting many stores to switch to Internet sales. Warby Parker responded by promoting its virtual try-on technology to extend its telemedicine services. Warby Parker swiftly adjusted to the shifting e-commerce industry, and the demand for eyeglasses remained stable throughout the epidemic. Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model applies to diverse situations demanding organizational change because it entails different domains aligned to sustainable and socially responsible organizational change.
Organization Overview
Warby Parker was founded in 2010 as a direct-to-consumer eyewear organization. The company aims to give clients fashionable eyewear at reasonable prices while supporting local causes. The firm has become well-known for its cutting-edge business strategy, including a try-at-home program where clients receive up to five frames to test out in the comfort of their homes at no cost (Eng, 2019Reed & Brunson, 2021). The initiative has helped the business acquire and retain customers. Warby Parker also has over a hundred physical storefronts spread across the United States and Canada, where consumers may stop in to try on glasses and get advice from trained professionals.
Concerning social responsibility, the organization embraces a one-to-one model described as the ‘Buy a Pair, Give a Pair initiative,’ in which the company contributes a pair of spectacles to someone in need for every pair sold. The corporation has also begun programs to promote learning and business development in disadvantaged areas. In addition to social responsibility and the quality and affordability of its goods, another reason for the company’s recent success is that it has responded well to shifting market circumstances, such as the COVID-19 epidemic. Warby Parker reacted to the COVID-19 outbreak by modifying its operational approach to accommodate consumers’ preferences. The firm had already built a robust online retail presence before the epidemic hit, but it quickly moved to use virtual try-on technology and increase its healthcare offerings(Reed & Brunson, 2021). Warby Parker introduced a virtual try-on option for their website to respond to the epidemic. Customers virtually try on glasses by having their faces scanned in 3D. Warby Parker successfully kept consumers and gave them an easy and secure method to shop for spectacles by introducing a virtual try-on feature.
Kotter’s 8 Step Change Model
Warby Parker’s reaction to the COVID-19 outbreak indicated the company’s nimbleness and capacity for responding to shifting market circumstances. The firm retained revenue and provided clients with a safe and quick method to shop for glasses by investing in virtual try-on technology and extending its healthcare services. This organizational transformation in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak may be understood from the perspective of Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model(Tanner, 2023). Warby Parker’s approach to the epidemic is consistent with many of the phases outlined in this model for managing change within a business.
Establish a Sense of Urgency
As mentioned, COVID-19 created an imbalance in different industries across the world. For example, measures formulated to regulate the spread of the disease, like lockdowns and social distancing, created mandatory restrictions on business operations. Retailers faced additional obstacles due to the epidemic, such as lower foot traffic and heightened safety concerns. These restrictions created an atmosphere of urgency for change for the organization to adapt to changing policies. Warby Parker understood that it had to respond rapidly to retain sales and give clients a secure and hassle-free option to buy glasses online. The corporation realized that consumers wanted to purchase in new ways, such as online and via virtual experiences, and it shifted its strategies.
Form a Powerful Coalition
Unprecedented situations necessitate assembling teams of people who bring unique experiences, viewpoints, and expertise to the discussion. Warby Parker’s ability to adapt to the unprecedented problems posed by the epidemic may be primarily attributed to the fact that the company assembled a diverse team of workers to work on the problem. A strong coalition, including designers, engineers, and customer care agents, mobilized the company’s resources and enabled its workers to pool their skills and knowledge to deal with the epidemic.
Create a Vision for Change
The next stage is to create a compelling vision that describes the desired future condition of the organization and conveys a feeling of mission to its constituents. Warby Parker’s vision was to provide clients with a secure and hassle-free option to purchase eyewear despite the prevailing climate of fear. The vision included shifting company practices to accommodate clients’ evolving requirements throughout the epidemic. This meant spending money on virtual try-on features, more healthcare options, and storefronts in less populated areas (McMaster et al., 2020). The organization envisioned a market environment whereby clients acquire eyewear without leaving the comfort of their homes, expanding the reach and convenience of the field of ophthalmology.
Communicate the Change Vision
Warby Parker informed its staff and clientele of its plans for transformation through email, social media, and the company website. The company’s marketing highlighted its dedication to offering high-quality eyeglasses and exceptional customer service while emphasizing safety and convenience.
Empower Broad-Based Action
These phases involve the facilitation of action and decision-making at all levels of the organization in support of the transformation vision. In the wake of the COVID-19 epidemic, Warby Parker encouraged its staff to take the initiative and make choices that would further its commitment to social impact. The corporation supplied workers with computers and other technology to work remotely. Warby Parker also fostered an environment where staff members were actively encouraged to think creatively about how to suit consumers’ evolving wants.
Generate Short-Term Wins
Warby Parker quickly succeeded by introducing a virtual try-on feature and growing its healthcare offerings. Despite the epidemic, these actions ensured that clients still had a secure and hassle-free option for purchasing glasses. Warby Parker’s innovative virtual try-on technology and expanding telehealth services embraced the company’s culture of decentralized decision-making to foster innovation(Reed & Brunson, 2021). The firm was able to adapt swiftly to the pandemic’s obstacles and create novel solutions that positioned it for success in the new retail environment.
Consolidate Gains and Implement More Change
Warby Parker bolstered its position by creating additional storefronts in less populous suburban areas, extending its telehealth offerings, and increasing its investment in virtual try-on technology. Once the epidemic was over, the corporation realized these strategies would continue to fuel development and success.
Anchor Change in the Culture
Ultimately, Warby Parker firmly established its new methods by highlighting the significance of innovation, agility, and customer-centricity across the company’s culture. The corporation understood that the epidemic had hastened the move towards digital and virtual experiences and was dedicated to maintaining a state of constant innovation and adaptation.
Rationale
The model offers a systematic and all-encompassing method for handling transformation that may be used in various settings. For instance, the Kotter 8-Step Change Model’s strength lies in its emphasis on rallying support from critical stakeholders and instilling a sense of urgency in the change process (Tanner, 2023). This is especially important in situations like Warby Parker’s reaction to the pandemic when the firm had to move fast and nimbly to meet the shifting demands of its clientele. Additionally, the Kotter 8-Step Change Model’s effectiveness lies in its emphasis on enabling workers at all levels to act and make choices supporting the change vision. In the case of Warby Parker’s reaction to the pandemic, in which the firm relied on the intelligence and creativity of its staff to find adequate responses and adjust to the shifting retail environment. The model offers a transparent and systematic strategy for directing organizational transformation, which may be modified to fit various settings.
Conclusion
The actions taken by Warby Parker in reaction to the COVID-19 epidemic have far-reaching consequences for the company’s bottom line, its workforce, its clientele, and the world at large. Through its online sales channels and the development of new initiatives like its virtual try-on technology, the firm was able to lessen the effect of the pandemic. The firm was able to retain its financial stability and safeguard the interests of its stockholders. Regarding workers, several Warby Parker workers were forced to work remotely or use other workarounds. Nevertheless, the firm could give its workers the resources they needed to work remotely, including the flexibility to do so when necessary. As a result, customers could now shop for eyeglasses with peace of mind without leaving the comfort of their homes thanks to the company’s innovative new initiatives. In addition to offering consumers a more sustainable and convenient shopping experience, the company’s focus on online sales and virtual try-on technology helped lessen conventional retail operations’ environmental effects.
References
Eng, D. (2019). How warby parker got its start.
McMaster, M., Nettleton, C., Tom, C., Xu, B., Cao, C., & Qiao, P. (2020). Risk management: Rethinking fashion supply chain management for multinational corporations in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 13(8), 173.
Reed, M. M., & Brunson, R. R. (2021). Beginning with an idea-Warby Parker: revolutionizing the way eyeglasses are sold and social entrepreneurship is carried out. In Case Studies in Entrepreneurship (pp. 2-10). Edward Elgar Publishing.
Tanner, R. (2023). Kotter’s eight step leading change model – Management is a journey®. Management is a Journey® – Helping you with the people side of the business™. https://managementisajourney.com/summary-of-kotters-eight-step-leading-change-model/#kotter-1
