Generally, people do not like change. Some are more resistant to change than others. It’s probably the fear of the unknown. You know the saying, the devil you know is better than the one you don’t. We humans are extremely good at adapting to our environment, regardless of how toxic, uncomfortable, or frustrating. Whatever the situation, we acclimate, and it becomes the norm. We grow accustom, even oblivious, to any inconvenience. That’s why change management is so difficult. The change agent is pulling the fire alarm when no one else believes there's a fire.
Some say people can’t change. I believe anyone can change, but they won’t unless they must. That’s the key to successful organizational change management - convincing a group of people that to survive, let alone thrive, they must change. It’s that simple, but it’s not easy. How do you convince people to run for their lives when they feel safe.
At any given time, there are infinite possible decisions to take. The most common
decision is to do nothing. Managers tend not to think of maintaining the status quo as a decision, but deciding to delay deciding is still a decision. Usually, doing nothing is the worst of all options. If you stand still, you fall behind or get replaced.
To break through the curse of comfort, a change agent must get the team to articulate their aspirations, or conversely, their fears. (Fear is actually more mobilizing than ambition.) How does the team achieve its goals or mitigate disaster? Create a model or a forecast of the future based on the current state. What happens if we do nothing? Usually, the outlook is bleak. Inaction becomes untenable. Team members become anxious and practically demand a plan of action. “We must do something!”
Now, properly motivated, the status quo is no longer acceptable, and people are ready to change. Next step, what to change and how...
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