No One Likes Change... Except a Wet Baby!!

There has been enough written about the topic of change to fill several books, yet we continue to read and hear about it repeatedly in the business world. Maybe that's because on both an individual and an organizational level, we humans are not so good at change. Granted, everyone likes to insert the phrase "change agent" somewhere in their resume. But are they really?

My experience through the years dealing and working with people is that most of us are actually change resistant. Perhaps you haven't noticed, but we humans are not very good at changing much of anything... our habits, our point of view on things, or even what we have for breakfast. It was actually Mark Twain who said: I'm all for progress - it's change I object to!

And if you think individual change is tough, let me tell you, organizational change is even more difficult. Over the years, I have had the opportunity... or curse, of being on the tip of the spear in a number of organizational change initiatives. Some were brought about by internal improvement initiatives, others via merger and acquisition activity. In one instance, we merged two different forest product companies, one headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the other in Greenville, South Carolina. While each had operations in both countries, the decision was made to consolidate the new headquarters office in Montreal. As you might expect, we had cultural challenges on day one to include both language and work style differences.

What I learned from that experience and others which followed is this. People generally fall into three camps during times of great organizational change, and the stress that almost always follows. A very small minority will champion the change initiative, and actually advocate for its success. These people are crucial if you are to be successful, as they can help you influence others who aren't on board quiet yet. The second group contains a larger number of people who are neither hot nor cold, but who focus on the "what's in it for me question". If they view the change as something positive to them personally or career wise, etc., they will generally not oppose your efforts. Work overtime to win them over by promoting the positive nature of the change, both on a personal and professional level. Communicate with them on a constant basis.

The final group, much like the first is also small in size, but will work without ceasing to derail your efforts. It doesn't matter much what you say or do, they will do everything in their power to cause your initiative to fail. Over the years, we coined a term to refer to the members of this group: CAVE people (Citizens Against Virtually Everything). CAVE people work both in and out of the shadows. Some will tell you they support your change efforts, while at the same time poisoning the well at the water fountain or the coffee pot, both literally and figuratively. Put a different way, they are tinkling in your coffee pot... and you don't even know it. Others just flat out tell you that they are opposed to anything that impacts the status quo, or, "how we do things around here". As someone once said: People don't resist change - they resist being changed.

Why is this resistance so pervasive and difficult? I personally believe it is due to the power of human habits and behavioral patterns. A habit begins as a mere thread, and over time as thread after thread is applied, it becomes like a steel cable, heavy and difficult to break. Organizations are no different. Cultures develop over years and years of doing things a certain way, and often times with successful outcomes. However, when the old tried and true doesn't work anymore, it is very difficult for an organization to change course or do things differently. Much like human habits, organizational habits are hard to break.

From a leadership perspective, leading positive change is one of the most challenging assignments you will likely ever receive. There are lots of "change consultants" out there who purport to have a revolutionary method or model for driving change. My own experience has taught me that it's not quite that simple. And, while I don't pretend to have all the answers, there is one approach that I have utilized through the years that has created a modicum of success for me. It begins with this simple premise... you must understand that change doesn't happen because ownership or management wills it. Don't expect to shout "we're changing _______" down from the mountaintop or corporate office and expect to see it automatically embraced. Change happens only when people understand the need for change, see the benefits of change, know how to change, and see other people changing.

In other words, change management takes a lot of work. It is boots on the ground, constant and consistent communication, and perhaps most important of all, leaders modeling and championing the new changes. Or, as Socrates once said: "The Secret of Change Is to Focus Your Energy, Not on Fighting the Old, But on Building the New. Focus your energies on the critical mass of people in the second group discussed above. Stay after them and win them over one by one by hitting the right WIIF (what's in it for me) buttons. Show them love and keep them in the loop. Finally, don't waste any of your precious and limited energy on the CAVE people, they will never support anything different you try anyway.