Turning over CDs
Peter de Jager is a provocative Speaker, Writer and Consultant. His primary focus in on how we manage change, technology and the future.
In addition to speaking at conferences worldwide, he also writes monthly columns for CIO Magazine and Computerworld Canada.
His goal is always to question what we think is so, and in so doing perhaps open up new opportunities.
If you'd like permission to reprint any of Peter's articles, please contact him directly.
You can contact him at
pdejager@technobility.com
Or sign the Guest Book and he'll get back to you.
Several years ago I made the transition from black plastic records to
shiny plastic CDs. The sound quality is better and despite the price
increase I'm satisfied with the value and the convenience. Yet from time
to time, years after the transition from wax ruts to laser pits, when a CD
finishes playing, I'll get up from my desk and turn over the CD.
It's not that the CD concept has
escaped me. It's not that I'm a techno peasant, it's just my mind saying,
'That side is done, time to play the other side.' because this is
how you thought when you played an old LP. When the music stopped you got
up to change the side to hear more music.
Change is an interesting topic. When the
format of a favorite newspaper changes, some readers will say I don't
like it. Others are impressed and others just don't care either way.
What will happen in the future is that one day you'll go to find a
particular issue and literally won't see it in the pile because the format
is different from what you were used to for the past several years.
Of all the stages of change we undergo
when faced with something new, the one most difficult to understand is
this thing called 'Denial.' When I'm turning over a CD to play the other
side I'm in 'denial.' You're also in 'denial' when you search for
something but can't find it because it changed appearance recently.
What is 'denial?' To some managers faced with implementing change in an organization, 'Denial' is a conscious effort on behalf of staff to stay in the past.
To think about 'denial' that way
will only frustrate you, annoy your staff and make the change more
difficult to achieve.
Here's a working definition of
'Denial.' Denial is nothing more than the
continued use of habits that worked well in the past, but which are no
longer appropriate to the new situation.
Another way to state this, is that it
is as difficult, if not more so, to change a good habit as it is to change
a bad habit.
A good habit is a behavior you've
acquired over the years and each time you executed that behavior, you were
rewarded in some fashion. Each time you executed the behavior it was
reinforced by yourself and by those around you.
Isn't it strange that people expect a
bad habit to be difficult to break, but are very intolerant when staff (or
themselves) have difficulty breaking a good habit?
Most change is about breaking good
habits. It's about giving up what used to work well, in exchange for
something that we don't yet know how to do at all. Why are we surprised
that change is difficult and painful to achieve?
Getting people through the denial phase
is difficult. Shouting won't solve the problem. Neither will pointing out
to the person that they are using an old behavior. I KNOW when I turn over
the CD that I've just used an old inappropriate behavior. It doesn't help
me a bit.
I have found I'm less likely NOT to
turn over CDs if the remote control for the CD is on the desk in front of
me. My mind hears the music stop, decides it wants to hear more music,
sees the remote and presto I start the CD again for the 17th time. I'm
pleased and get back to work. (Meanwhile my wife is reconsidering her
decision to marry someone who really likes bagpipe music... did I
mention I like my music LOUD?)
When trying to get people though
denial. The best thing you can do is scatter their environment with
constant reminders that the world has changed. That old good habits no
longer work. True, after a while these reminders fade into the
background... unless of course you change their appearance regularly, just
like newspapers do from time to time, hoping you'll see them in a
different light.
© 2005,
Peter de Jager – Peter is passionate about change, how it affects both
individuals and organizations and allows them to grow and prosper. To contact him, and
host internal seminars on Change Management visit www.technobility.com
For
reprint permissions click here.
Resources: