The Art of Change - Part 1

This article is still a work in progress as I have been reflecting and gathering my thoughts about the rules, conditions and tactics about change management and what makes it work. You can expect more of this series, and it is still a little raw at the moment. I am taking advantage of the quality feedback channel that only LinkedIn can offer and have a conversation about this with all of you. These thoughts came from the collective experiences at the firm after twelve years of work. I hope you will find them useful.

Why change?

1. Change is the only way an organisation can find purpose. Without realizing the need for change periodically, an organization soon loses its bearings,  vitality and is unable to master its destiny.

2. Change is a constant and we are designed for it. It happens in nature and our lives. The business environment is shaped daily by millions of decisions  that will eventually manifest itself in some form that then triggers change.
3. Therefore, the environment is in a constant shifting of form, and if an organisation does not evolve from time to time, it will be irrelevant, fail to be sustainable and benefit society.
4. The push for change can come from the outside or from within.
5. But when change is forced from the outside, internal forces have little control over external events and will soon be left to react resulting in poorer results.
6. When change comes from within, internal forces have more control over their decisions and plans. Hence, the results will be greater. Therefore, change from within is always the better guarantee for success.
7. When leaders sense the need to change, there is hope for the organization.
8. When the subordinates sense the need for change but their leaders are oblivious, then there is little hope for the organization.
9. When all is too quiet and too familiar, change is near and has the highest chance of success or destruction for those ill-prepared.
10. The way to rally others to change is not because of reason but because you have managed to narrow their hearts and minds to do one thing and that is to change with you.
11. The way to narrow their hearts and minds is to help them realize that the change you speak of belongs to them and help them see what you see.
12. When leaders rally for change, they must lead front and center.
13. When subordinates want change, they must rally around a strong leader or else the change that they have ignited will be fragmented and soon disintegrate.
14. Therefore, for change to succeed there must be six elements: realization, inside-out, leadership, clear cause, group adoption and structure.

To be continued...

Share your experiences and thoughts about change with me.

About Consulus

We are a global innovation and design consultancy with business management and multi-disciplinary creative capabilities. Since 2004, we have helped companies, governments and non-profit groups achieve sustainable profit and growth by redesigning their organisations, business models and brand experiences. Our competitive advantage comes from the insights gleaned from reviewing companies in 18 cities throughout the Asia Pacific regarding their business and organisational models. Read about our PurposeCore programme if your organisation is looking for an effective transformation to meet the complex challenges of the 21st century.

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Consulus is the convener for Shape the World Conference, a creative thought-leadership event aimed at providing design-led strategies to inspire companies to transform and shape the world. In 2013, Consulus launched the World Company Day initiative to inspire companies to shape the world creatively into a better place through daily work.

The Consulus Partnership is present in Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Italy, Argentina

About Lawrence Chong

He is the Co-founder and CEO of Consulus, an innovation consultancy with business management and multi-disciplinary design capabilities. He is a featured Speaker at global events such as World Marketing Summit and World Brand Congress. He served as the Immediate Past President of Design Business Chamber Singapore. His thoughts on  innovation and creativity appear in regional media such as Business Insider, Business Times, Marketing Magazine, Newsbase, TheEdge , Prestige Magazine, VTC10. In his personal capacity, he is a member of the Focolare, working for peace through dialogue with friends from different faiths.