With a strategy of ‘carrying on as before’, implementation is not a problem – nobody has to change their behavior. However, if major changes are required to successfully implement the strategy, then in most cases there will be great resistance to the new. Rejection is an enormous hurdle that well over 50% of all strategies fall victim to: what was conceived and decided at the top is rejected at the place where it happens, at the middle and lower levels of the company’s hierarchy.

If the new idea cannot be implemented at the push of a button, but has to be put into practice by a large number of key players at all levels who do not want to do this, the implementation is very likely to fail.

What to do? Management theory offers two concepts to control the situation early on and prevent rejection from occurring: change management and implementation.

“Change management” provides instructions for action for leadership during change. This concept is recommended if, even before a decision is made, it is suspected that there will be great resistance from employees, employee representatives or the public. It is not about manipulation, but about genuinely involving all those affected.

“Implementation” is a concept that first involves analyzing where the typical “implementation barriers” lie in the company. There are usually a large number of them, both open and hidden. Once these barriers have been identified, the implementation concept can be developed. All available methods of management theory and psychology are used. Particularly important are all those problem areas where the company goals and the personal goals of the employees are far apart.