According to Peter Senge, "Most change initiatives fail because most organization don't forsee the obstacles that arise naturally wherever growth and learning take place.  Predictable and interconnected, these challenges go hand in hand with any step into the unknown, and must be anticipated and mastered in order for sustained growth to occur."   

The good news is that the challenges are predictable and appropriate steps can be taken to address them before they become issues.  One common challenge at the beginning of a change initiative is lack of time.  In many organizations people are stretched thin with their day-to-day tasks and view change initiatives as additional and often unwelcome work.  This challenge can be addressed in different ways depending on the type and scope of the change initiative and the culture of the organization.  For example, in organizations where several initiatives are occurring simultaneously, it is often more effective to integrate initiatives to allow people the ability to focus and make progress.