Just mention the word “change”
and most people cringe. While we may look at change as the enemy, it’s
a reality we all must face every day of our lives. Nothing would exist
without change. We would never have been born if our parents hadn’t
changed (grown up). We would never learn new skills, advance in our
careers or seek new challenges.
We have all lived through an astonishing
period of change. The last 50 years have brought the invention of:
- The birth control pill, the artificial heart,
and organ donor and transplant programs
- Radio and television
- Nuclear energy and its inherent problems, credit
cards and their inherent problems, and the ballpoint pen
- Frozen food and air conditioners
- Pantyhose, clothes dryers and electric blankets
According to futurist Faith Popcorn, change
will continue to accelerate as much in the next 10 years as it has in
the last 50, and as much again in the five years after that. So consider:
- 1940 to 1990 = 50 years of change
- 1990 to 2000 = 50 years of change
- 2000 to 2005 = 50 years of change
According to this theory, if you live
for another 10 years, you will actually live through 100 years of change!
Even Change Changes
“Sometimes the only thing we can count
on is change!” says Patricia Wilson, author of Change: Coping with
Tomorrow Today (National Press Publications, 1992). “But in addition
to these changes, another kind of change is taking place in our society.
We are undergoing a shift in our belief about what constitutes power.”
People first identified power with muscular
ability. Those who could run fastest and throw the spear farthest were
more likely to kill their next meal and survive another day. Later on,
the leader with the most armies, guns and bombs was the conqueror. Might
made right. More recently, money became the basis for power. We fought
to keep up with the Joneses. All we needed for success was more, more,
more which we bought with money, money, money.Today’s information is
the power unit. According to Wilson, “Those who continuously adapt,
use new ideas, and learn new technologies and how to access information
are the owners of future power. To use the resources of the information
age, to supply innovative, appropriate and timely service to customers’
problems are the true marks of success.”
If you doubt this wisdom, consider Bill
Gates. He fought to make his dream come true, and information has made
him one of the richest men in the world. Change is like a driverless
car coming toward you down the street. You have three choices. You can
be reactive and jump out of the way. You can be nonactive and do nothing.
But you risk heavy consequences for your inaction. Or you can be proactive.
You can run along with the car, jump in and steer it the way you want
it to go. However you choose to handle change, be assured that the car
will keep heading your way.
The Circle of Change
According to Wilson, change has three constants:
- Change is a reality in any living organism.
- Being a problem solver means more change.
- The continuous circle of change cannot be ignored.
The circle of change goes like this: The
present includes change, which leads to a problem, which leads to a
solution, which leads us back to the present and more change.
Here’s an example …
- The Acme Packaging Company uses a manual system
of invoicing (present reality).
- The invoices are often late, so the company introduces
data processing (change).
- Employees don’t know how to use the new technology
(problem).
- Training sessions are scheduled (solution).
- The invoices are handled electronically (present
reality).
- Some invoices don’t meet the criteria of the new
system (change).
- The new system must be changed (problem).
- The circle goes on and on.
“How we deal with
the change circle will determine how successfully we manage change,” Wilson says. “Remember the one thing we cannot do is ignore the circle of change.” “The light at the end of the tunnel is a train.” This and similar attitudes can stop you from dealing with change effectively. Deep down, many of us still believe that people who look forward to change simply don’t understand what that light at the end of the tunnel really is!
Looking at Change with a Positive Focus
Since change is a fact of life you cannot
change, it’s up to you to change how you look at it. By looking at change
openly and honestly, you can begin to deal with it from a rational viewpoint
rather than an emotional one. To put change into perspective and add
a structure for dealing with it, start with these two simple steps:
Step One: Describe the Change
- What caused it? What happened or is happening
to put the change into consideration?
- What is the exact nature of the change being proposed?
- How will the change affect your responsibilities?
What specific issues will the change directly affect?
- Who is responsible for implementing the change?
- What system will be used to ensure the change
succeeds?
Step Two: Recognize the Imposition (Decide
who is doing the imposing, who is pushing for the change)
- Boss or management
- The system
- The customer
- You
Boss- or Management-Imposed Change
Boss-imposed change may come from a new
boss or from a company merger, which brings about fresh insight, identifying
where change is needed and will be beneficial. These changes create
several questions:
- Can I do this? You may be afraid you won’t
be able to do what the new boss asks of you. You may fear losing
your job if you don’t handle the change correctly.
- Am I the one to do this? New management
may not be aware of your individual responsibilities and may wrongly
assign tasks involved with the change.
- Do I need to redefine my job? If the boss
is firm on his assigning the change task, you may need to redefine
your job description to accommodate the change.
- What retraining or education is available to
help me deal with the change? Seek out retraining to avoid failure
and to stay valuable to the company.
- Do I have any say in the change? Can I
use my knowledge, expertise, interpersonal and leadership skills
or group dynamics to bring about the desired change? By doing this
will it position me to receive a bonus, promotion, salary adjustment,
or overtime privileges?
System-Imposed Change
Change often stems from an outdated system.
The old system no longer works and something has to give. This type
of change also poses questions.
- Is it within my responsibility? This is
one of the hardest questions to deal with in a system-imposed change.
While you may see changes that would help the system, you may lack
the authority to bring them about. It falls to you to convince your
bosses of the wisdom of your suggestions. Remember that offering
a resolution is more diplomatic than simply complaining and is a
positive way of dealing with a failing system.
- Is it worth doing? The change must be measurable
and positive or it’s not worth carrying out.
- Do I have time? Do others? When implementing
change, always consider the time commitment required.
Customer-Imposed Change
When a company realizes that its customers
are unhappy, it’s time for change. Ultimately the changes must satisfy
not only the customer but the company as well. Ask yourself these questions:
- Can I do what the customer wants? Hiring
more service representatives so the customer gets helped more quickly
may make the customer happy.
- What is the bottom-line impact? Hiring
more service representatives would mean a sharp increase in costs.
- Will I keep my customers? A large price
increase may well lead to a reduction in the number of customers.
Self-Imposed Change
Often change comes from burdens you place
on yourself. You switch word processing programs; you go back to school;
you make career changes. You can diminish the negative impact of these
changes by anticipating difficulties that may arise. Ask these questions:
- How will this affect the work I do? Before
tackling self-imposed change, consider the damage you may do to
your job. Will you have less time or make more mistakes because
of the additional pressure? You need to prepare yourself and others
for potential problems during the implementation of the change.
- Can I control this? If the change will
hurt your work, you must have some degree of control over it. Seek
flexibility. Avoid requirements that the change be carried out a
certain way and within a certain time frame.
- Can I delegate parts of the change? Self-imposed
change leaves little room to delegate. But persuasion can take the
form of delegating if you can convince others of the need for change.
- What are the opportunities? How do I create
winners? Consider WIIFM. “What’s in it for me?” definitely
applies in this situation. To successfully convince others to go
along with the effects of your self-imposed change, you need to
convince them there’s something in it for them too. Do opportunities
exist for them, such as acquiring new skills or making their jobs
easier?
It may come as a surprise that the light
at the end of the tunnel is not a fast-moving train. Instead, it’s the
sun that appears when you consider the positive side of change and prepare
for it. So take the challenge. Look at change in a new, realistic light
that lets you control the effects of change, not the other way around.
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