This is the 8th post (I'm halfway through!) of my 16 post series celebrating the 16th anniversary of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. You can scroll down to read more of the series or go
here to read the introductory post.
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Perhaps it is odd that I have gotten half way through this series of posts before I talk about change - which might be the most pervasive theme of all my work as a trainer and consultant.
I can't, in this short post share everything I have learned about change, change leadership, change communication and the success and failure of change. But I also couldn't leave it off the list either for two basic reasons.
1. We all have to deal with change individually and organizationally all the
time .
2. Organizationally, we have a pretty lousy record at
doing it successfully (as a whole I'm not sure we are a whole lot better at it
individually either).
When we aren't very good at something that affects us everyday, there is a learning opportunity!
Here are four key ideas and actions that will help you deal with and lead change more effectively.
1. People don't resist change, they resist being changed.
Stop and reread this sentence.
The point here is that change is a choice that people make. Since we all like to be in control of our lives and our circumstances, there is much less resistance and much greater success, when people are in a position to choose (or have input into) any change. This applies to a big wide spread company change and to the change of dinner plans with your family on Friday night.
2. People change for their reasons, not yours.
Change is a choice and it is made individually. Just because you are completely sold on a change, doesn't mean someone else sees it. Your values, experience and criteria are different. You see the world differently than they do.
This is ok -and even if it doesn't seem ok to you, it doesn't matter. It is reality. One important implication of this fact is that we can't get others to change by simply stating our case more passionately and/or louder. this isn't communication, it is coercion, and it won't work.
3. There is an emotional component to change.
People don't choose change based solely on facts any more than they make any other decision completely based on logic. How receptive (or not) we are to any change relates to all of our past experience about change, what our most recent experiences are, and what else is going on in our lives.
How we feel about change and the specific situation matters. Alot.
Keeping this in mind and planning accordingly is one way to drastically improve your ability to lead and nurture any organizational change.
4. You can't make change happen with a PowerPoint presentation.
At least not by itself.
When you take the other three points together you will quickly realize that to create change requires information and conversation. PowerPoint alone is a great one way communication tool. But one way communication, by itself, will never create and sustain change. We must create conversations and dialogue to help people make a true choice to change.
I'm off today to work with a new Client - and we are going to talk specifically about change. When they ask me to summarize some of the key lessons about organizational change, these will be on the list.
I hope they are on your list now too.
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Labels: change, change leadership
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