6 change management lessons from the first holiday in 2 years

I've just returned from spending a fair chunk of time abroad, choosing Europe for an extended digital detox and reset from the past two COVID-dominated years.

It was weird. Pre-COVID, I caught more planes than buses, something I did for work and play regularly. I was out of practice on the basics, like minimalist packing!

Anyway, I always take lessons from my travels that help me do what I do better. There were many change management learnings from my adventures throughout Rome, Milan, Prague, Budapest, The Amalfi Coast, Sicily, Florence and the Tuscany region.

Here they are.....

1. Fear of the change is often worse than the change itself

In the days leading up to departure, the media was highlighting the skyrocketing COVID numbers and how bad things were getting in the EU. It was also when Sydney and Melbourne had record highs thanks to the Omicron variant. Many people suggested we cancel the trip for fear of getting COVID or stuck overseas. They thought we were crazy, brave.... a bit of both. We had an absolute COVID-free ball. And ironically, many of the folk in my Australian circle who stayed put contracted the virus.

Learning: You can't live in fear over what may/may not happen. Put mitigations in place to the best of your ability and move forward.

Ancient Theatre of Taormina, Sicily

2. It's not what you say, it's how you say it

There were many instances we were off the beaten track, with not many people speaking English. By observing people's body language, tone and gestures, we were able to discern what they were trying to convey and the kind of person they were. A friendly tone, smile and open body language goes a long way to distilling trust. A lesson for leaders of organisational initiatives - don't spend time splitting hairs over words. Focus on how you can drum up confidence in your change by how you say the words instead.

Learning: Authenticity, EQ and personal integrity are felt, not heard.

3. Incremental reminders over a single big message

Did you know Prague has peculiar road rules? At each intersection, you need to check what the speed limit is and who has the right of way. Very confusing. What determines the R.O.W. is if the street intersects with a main road or an arterial road. What is identified as the “main” road can change several times within blocks on the same street.

Especially in this post-COVID era, rules change so fast, so often. People try to do the right thing, but attention spans are short and memories even shorter. Small, bite-size pieces of information that remind people of the changes win over long drawn-out Town Halls or text-heavy reports.

Learning: Good things come in small packages. Micro-learning, micro-change management, micro-communication are effective approaches to reinforce behaviour change.

4. Sometimes you need to have faith and just step out

Saw this sculpture on the Arno River in Florence. It really is like change.

Ponte Alla Vittoria, Firenze

You can plan to the Nth degree, but nothing in life is a sure thing. You don't have to see the whole staircase to take the first step. Remember: no change, no progress.

Learning: You don't need 99.9% of the answers before you make a move, you just need to start stepping in the right direction.

5. Empower your people for change

Vaccine credentials, or the EU green pass had to be shown each time you entered a restaurant, bar, cafe, train etc. Not being EU residents, we had the Australian vaccination record, showing we were triple vaxxed. It was accepted every single time - except one cafe in Rome. He insisted on the EU green pass QR code. We had been using our Australian records every day, in multiple countries and cities. He insisted on the European QR code. We explained further that we weren't EU residents, hence didn't have the QR code, and that we couldn't even get in the country if we weren't vaccinated. He didn't bend, nor exhibit any signs of common sense, and we took our business elsewhere. How often do you think this happens in your organisation?

Learning: If internal policies don't make sense and are turning away customers, give your people the power to change it.

Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II in Rome

6. Adaptability is the new black

Our trip underwent a series of not one, not two, but four material changes. Cancelled flights, closed down hotels, cancelled ferries, new international travel requirements, mismatched expectations, safety concerns. We had to be on our toes to ensure we could enter the next city / country / mode of transport, and be embracing of the pivots and adaptations our itinerary took along the way. We didn't waste time being annoyed at having to change plans, instead we focused on making sure the adjustment was just as good! In the end, our trip did not adhere to our original plan A. Plan B wasn't worse, it was just different. Much like change.

Learning: Move over IQ, it's AQ (adaptability quotient) that will determine future success (and contentment).

Anyone else go on an extended vacation as soon as borders opened?

Gucci Garden, Firenze