Selling coriander: how not to assume your Change tastes good to everyone
Margo Kosters
Management consultant | Change Management @ Stanwick Management Consultants
Coriander. Have you ever encountered a spice so divisive that its mere mention sparks debates amongst culinary lovers? Some are big fans of the little green plant, whilst others strongly believe it adds a taste of soap to your dish. Assuming the spice will be welcomed by all your table guests is a bad idea.
The analogy can be made to organizational changes that seem to be shiny and all good news. The launch of a new intranet, a new holiday request procedure or merging two really successful companies. Assuming these changes will be welcomed by colleagues with enthusiasm is a great pitfall when implementing a change at the office. Regardless of whether the change initiative requires an individual behavior change, it is important to keep in mind that assumption is the mother of all ... You know what I wanted to write here, I'm sure.
Let's dive into how to avoid the coriander assumption in the context of organizational change management.
Unexpected dislike for your coriander dish
You are leading this great organizational change and with all the money pumped into it and a project team that's focussed on technical obstacles, you might have a blind spot when it comes to the resistance your implied positive organizational change might face. You're not assuming any job losses or changes. All seemed initially like merely positive introductions to people's workflows. Right?
Resistance can pop-up in organizational change initiatives in many forms and flavours. It is important to anticipate resistance, however purely positive your change might appear. Employees might be highly invested in their current way of working or actually proposed a different change scenario before you were introduced to the project.
People and change
Resisting change is rarely irrational. In the context of this blog I specifically want to point out that however positive a change initiative might seem, it is important to take into consideration possible resistance to said change initiative. Your amazing new tool might give people the feeling they lose something. Some might even fear for their job security, where you do not make that link at all.
The common phrase "people do not like change" keeps going rounds. I heard it on stage by an innovation minded speaker at a congress I attended few weeks ago. The thing is, people do not naturally resist change. People do not enjoy the feeling they are being forced to change without being involved. The latter implies that we can dismiss the human need for autonomy.
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"Stop saying people do not like change. People usually do not like being forced to change, that's an important nuance."
Remember: your new intranet for example, might really taste like coriander (soap!) to some people in your organization, whilst you strongly believe it's the greatest flavour enhancer for your company's internal communications mix. To make it even more concrete, avoid sentences that look like this: "Don't worry, it will be a great new working situation."
Hitting the right flavor buds
So what's the solution to avoid the coriander assumption?
Curious about your thoughts on coriander, and resistance to change specifically of course.
Bon appetit, enjoy your Change!