Why we do what we do
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.
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pdejager@technobility.com
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In the last article, a particular statement caught a lot of attention and generated far more than its fair share of feedback. To save time, I'll repeat it here;
Even though our change projects fail,
we resist changing how we implement change,
finding it easier to blame those who resist how we implement change...
Strangely enough, a few weeks ago at a Strategic Leadership Forum the same topic, though phrased slightly differently --
"Why don't we manage change with the same expertise we demonstrate when we talk about
it?" -- was a large part of a discussion on how we implement strategic change. That discussion generated a list of eight possible reasons. I relay them here as points of discussion.
1 - A lack of resources to do it right
Nothing new here. Doing it right the first time always seems to cost more than we're willing to pay. Change Management done right, like a meal cooked by a master chef, takes time. There are more fast food restaurants than fine restaurants, for a reason. The #1 reason I hear back from folks when I present on Change is that "Doing it right, i.e. Getting involvement from the start, takes far too long."
2 - We underestimate the future cost of getting it wrong
This is the reason why we allow ourselves to be led astray by the reason above. What is the cost of a failed change project? Lost time? Or lost millions? Anyone who's been involved with a failed change project has a real sense of how much they've lost, but we seem incapable of taking the cost of that 'potential' and future loss into account the next time we're faced with a change project.
We even have psychology on our side on this one. We're not very good at properly evaluating either future gains or loss. Most people would choose $100 today rather than $150 a year from now.
3 - Unrealistic expectations
When we inform others of our intent to change we find it difficult to believe that they will find any serious objections to it. Despite past experiences, we expect change to be easy even though we have no evidence to support that belief. Our understanding of how people react to enforced change is coloured by the fact that we've already seen the reason for the change and we've embraced those reasons as legitimate.
4 - While we have the knowledge, we don't have the experience
Book learning is one thing, performing under fire is another thing entirely. When surrounded by the politics of the change, by the angst and the fury, the concerns and the fear, it is difficult to step back and approach the bigger picture with informed objectivity. It is all too easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of the change and forget that everything we know about change applies to the change happening right before us... not the next one, or the one happening in the organization next door, but this one. Now.
5 - We don't know change management as well as we think we do
Always a definite possibility. Perhaps we are applying what we know, and what we know just isn't so. If that's what's happening, then it's time to sit back and re-examine what we think is true. Post mortems -- the analysis of dead projects -- is always a worthwhile activity. Otherwise we'll just keep doing what we're doing and expecting different results. Which is, according to some folk dictionaries, the definition of insanity.
A useful exercise? Write down in point form what you 'know' to be true about change. Now comes the hard part... back up each point with careful objective analysis and real life examples.
6 - A failure to accept that change is a process, not an event, not just chaos
It's one thing to talk competently of change management, and another thing entirely to believe in the concepts. Life would be so much easier if people would just 'change' and be done with it. Isn't that what management is there for, to make the hard decisions and then tell the rank and file what to do? No arguments, no backchat, no dissent?
7 - An unwillingness/inability to manage dissent
Which relates nicely to the point above. It's one thing to manage change, but how do you deal with those who disagree with the change? Those who ask "What's in it for me?" and "Why should we change?" and those who point out that this is not the best change possible.
Not everyone deals well with dissent, and many would rather, if possible, avoid any conflict at all. These are not the best choices for organizational 'change agents'. No matter how well we manage change, there's no avoiding that it will create questions and challenges. If these are not well managed, then by definition the change isn't well managed. Dissent is part and parcel of the change process.
8 - We don't trust what we know to be true about how we embrace change
This, for many, is the real stumbling block. How we respond to change is 'personal' and personal 'touchie feelie' approaches to change goes against the grain in many organizational cultures. Having self confidence in the face rampant skepticism, is never easy. It's easier sometimes to fail according to the corporate book, than it is to succeed as an individual.
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As mentioned at the start, these eight observations arose out of a strategic level discussion about why we don't seem to implement change the way we talk about change. At the very least they have value as a collection of perceptions.
I'd be happy to receive back commentary that either adds to the above text of extends it to other reasons.
Cheers
Peter de Jager
905-792-8706
pdejager@technobility.com
© 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
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