Who moved my book about who moved my cheese?

How do we honestly view change? I mean everything changes………….. right. Microsoft used to change their office package on a regular basis and, as only a proud technologist can, I never read any help notes or went on training, I simply shouted at my computer when I could not find how to get the readability statistics for a paper I was writing and finally sought the aid of a knowledgeable friend. 

Similarly, recent changes to iPhone and Gmail’s management of emails has caused me all sorts of frustrations - the way in which it groups emails drives me mad. However, that frustration is probably much more to do with my age and failing eyesight than anything else.  I am sure many love the features I struggle with.  

My overall experience with mobile phone technology is extremely positive - in essence, I wonder how I ever managed without it and the barrier to learning and adopting all the wonderful features was a matter of minutes.  

Many years ago, I needed new tyres for my wife’s car and before going to work, she asked me to write down the tyre sizes so she could contact the garage when it opened and book the car in. Being winter, in the UK and my insatiable desire to be up at 05:30 it was dark when I left the house. I did not try to find a torch, a pen or a pad – I simply put the light on the phone, pointed at the wall of the tyre, took the picture and emailed to Nora. No one had taught me this process and, I had never performed it before. I only realised what I had done 10 minutes later on the way to work.

Good technology lends itself to good adoption and provides simple ways to perceive its value quickly and often. This is not restricted to technology - good observation leading to good design inherently lends itself to adoption and self-actuated change.

Of course it’s not that simple – it’s all about perspective, preferences and style. Where you stand is really what you see. If you are standing as the architect of the change journey then your perception of what is occurring is distinctly different to that of the people who are just discovering the change story. 

There have been many stories I have heard over the years of consulting around change – some of which are surprising. Like the change programme, that was positively promoting how people’s jobs would be improved by removing the mundane aspects of their workload. When things hit resistance repeatedly, discovery took place. Through direct feedback from the people performing those tasks, it was discovered that actually the area of work they sort to remove was the actual point each day when those colleagues contemplated improvements, discussed them with their colleagues, reflected, and prepared for the other work they were performing. 

We cannot truly see what people are thinking other than through limited proxies.

I consulted with numerous organisations over the years where change was being undertaken. I noticed, in a few cases, patterns of change approach wherever a certain book had been provided to all managers -  “Who moved my cheese?”, it is a great read and I really like it. However, my experience in these organisations was of significant resistance to change, a lack of good dialogue and actionable discovery to unblock that resistance. Was the book a marker for a certain approach to change? Was it there because it was a really useful tool used at the most difficult of change programmes? Was something else happening?

My view is that change programmes whilst necessary, might be a response to an underlying condition.

What do organisations really need?

Well, adaptability, flexibility, the need for cognition and innovation spring to mind. 

If we can design and build programmes, tools and technology that offer users near zero barriers to use whilst providing those users with quick-return perceptible value, then invariably adoption will be easier. 

But, could we further reduce the need for extensive change programmes? 

If our organisations were based on the premise that diverse experience and alternative career pathways was part of the fabric of that organisation (a specific job role was really just a project and an experience on the overall journey ), wouldn’t we all be better prepared and armed with the tools we need - expecting and jumping at change?

I know, “this is all very conceptual”, I hear you cry after all, there are many jobs and many people who do not want the continual churn. 

How could you provide security in a world of continue changes in projects, programmes and experience?

Yet we are also predicting a future where a large proportion of the more static, repeatable and highly logical based roles are being digitised and automated. Not convinced? Just look at what is happening to the legal professional in specific areas and it is ripe for digitisation, disruption and change.

More and more organisations will require a mechanism to hold together people and projects in order to get things done.

Back to earth, back to reality

Who moved my cheese? is a great book and I would recommend it. How some organisations have applied it may be more or less effective than others may.

The one constant is change.

So, designers of change programmes, human systems and HR technology need to ensure that the barrier to adoption is as low as possible and the time to benefit is as short as possible. 

Good design should be imperceptible in its integration with our lives.

I would love to hear your views on this.

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