Poor communications (e.g., of goals, methods, motives, commitment)
Unclear rationale for change
Lack of understanding of the urgency of change
Inadequate employee mobilization and engagement
Lack of courage and risk-taking (may cause change to fail by default)
Complacency (resistance to change because of prior success)
Too many initiatives at one time, overloading change management capacity
Mixed messages from top and middle management
Short-term thinking and lack of follow-through, especially in long-term initiatives
Changed or diminished priorities; lack of focus
Cultural mismatch in mergers and acquisitions that seek to blend two contrasting cultures
Lack of leadership support, commitment, or modeling behavior
Poor market analysis; poor planning
Underestimation of barriers; lack of due diligence
Original writing date: September 20, 2005