Friday, May 24, 2013

Bring on the Change!

As a contemporary leader, you’ve undoubtedly been asked to support a change management initiative. Ironic though it sounds, change is a constant in today’s business world. Managing change isn’t an easy task. People resist change for many reasons, including fear of personal failure, concern for increased workload or comfort with the status quo. 
Leverage change by focusing on the positive
 

Although change can be negatively perceived, it is the fuel that drives progress. Just imagine our world if no change had occurred in the last 30 years. Roll the calendar back to 1983, to find a world where cell phones were few in number and looked like bricks. Laptop computers (let alone tablet devices) were nonexistent, the Berlin Wall still stood, and FMLA was unknown. Despite the trepidation to move away from the security of what is known, change can often be good.

“Change Management” is the term given to efforts to help people successfully navigate any type of change. Given that change is, by its very nature, unpredictable and unwieldy, trying to manage it may be a barrier to success. Leaders may be better served by focusing on leveraging change rather than managing it. Here are three steps to accomplish that goal:
Identify the levers of change: Change doesn’t instantly materialize; it comes about because of a real or perceived need. Ensure that, as a leader, you fully understand the big picture behind the change. Often, there are influences outside your own job or organization. Ask many questions to understand all of the "whys" behind any change effort.
Take a positive look ahead:  People are often mired in the challenge of change simply because they are stuck in the present. That same mindset gives us heartburn in stop-and-go traffic. We observe only the mass of idling cars around us. We fail to see that we will move through and reach our destination, soon to fully forget the unpleasant experience. To leverage change, look ahead. What is the change intended to accomplish? Once it’s fully implemented, how will life look? What are the three most positive impacts likely to occur because of the change?
Embrace and promote the change:  Once a change initiative is underway, it’s difficult to stop it. Yet many try, contributing to frustration and wasted energy. With an understanding of the cause for change and a focus on the probable positive outcomes, it’s easier to rally around the change effort and become a cheerleader. It is rewarding and fulfilling to be a part of a successfully completed strategy. It doesn’t feel nearly as good to resist and derail a significant initiative.
Change will continue to influence every facet of our life – and for that, we should be grateful. Decades from now, when human teleportation allows instant contact with loved ones, cars sip energy from the air around them and batteries run forever, we’ll have change to thank. Leverage change now  to fully realize the many benefits that it will bring tomorrow.
 

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