Let's face it — change is overwhelming, time-consuming and challenges us in ways we may not immediately appreciate. Studies have shown that we are all creatures of habit, and change, while well intended, disrupts our routine.

There is actually a science to effectively executing and managing change. This science, organizational change management, is rooted in organizational psychology and solid business management fundamentals.

According to recent studies by Gartner, IBM and McKinsey, 70 percent of large-scale change efforts fail.

1. Calculate the delta between where your organization is and where it needs to be.

Seek to understand the history of how your organization dealt with change in the past, as this serves as a good indicator of how things might play out today. Create a plan to address the impact of change on your organization and make sure that people are ready, willing and able to perform effectively in the new environment upon deployment.

2. Develop a robust change management strategy.

Ensure adequate and continuous levels of leadership alignment, sponsorship, communication, stakeholder engagement and training as part of your change program.

3. Involve key players and naysayers.

Don't focus solely on the overall portfolio of initiatives. Go deeper. Know the key milestones and maintain a maniacal focus on executing them on time.

4. Execute milestones.

It is vital to celebrate small wins to build momentum toward a successful project. Waiting until the wins happen to launch a recognition program means delayed recognition to those doing the heavy lifting of preparing for and executing change.

5. Establish a reward and recognition program from the start.

Set an aggressive schedule to monitor and review KPIs with leaders utilizing a "plan, do, check, act" cycle.

6. Make change stick by focusing on your new key performance indicators.

Set an aggressive schedule to monitor and review KPIs with leaders utilizing a "plan, do, check, act" cycle. Ensure all metrics are aligned with and support your new environment.