Change is Easy, but the Transition Can Kill You!
ByIf you are reading this, you’re probably faced with change – much of it driven by the worldwide economic crisis. As a leader, whether in your personal or professional life, you may be facing major organizational challenges.
The reality is that change, itself, is pretty quick and mechanical. We flip a switch and we’re now using a new system. We make an announcement, and someone is a new manager. We painfully announce a layoff, and it is done quickly. We completely reorganize our business. It takes some time to plan, but once it is announced, it is done quickly.
The change is not the issue. The issue is the psychological and emotional process that people ALWAYS go through in their transition from the way it used to be – with which they had become very comfortable – to the new way.
It’s the People part, the Soft part – that makes all the difference!
This transition process in people occurs EVEN IF the change is a really good thing. That has always baffled me, but it is true. Even if it is a very positive change in the long run, people still go through their own individualized psychological process – and every person does it at their own pace and in their own way.
The new way might be a different job, a different boss, a totally new process of work, a new computer system, a new benefit plan(or personal change such as a change in a relationship, a death of a loved one, even winning the lottery, etc) – it doesn’t matter what the change is. The issue is not the change. The issue is the emotional turmoil, chaos and confusion we go through during the transition from the old to the new.
And that transition is NOT instantaneous.
As managers-leaders-owners, how well we manage these transitions will make all the difference in the impact of the change on our business.
Whole businesses have failed because of poorly executed transitions.
The GOOD NEWS is that a well-led transition can enhance your organization’s effectiveness and position you for success better than you’ve ever been.
Sometimes, change is inevitable. There is no choice.
How we make the transition is ALWAYS A CHOICE! And that choice makes all the difference as to whether the change creates miserable failure or exciting results.
Stay tuned for more on this topic. And share this with others in your organization and your friends. They’re all being impacted by change!
To getting your organization through change in a way that positions you for higher success!
Ed Oakley
9 Comments
February 4th, 2009 at 10:13 am
What you highlight is the aspect of change that leaders and followers are almost never prepared to experience. They do not accept the upheaval in their feelings as a natrual reaction to change, regardless of whether the change is positive or negative.
I wonder how many leaders/managers institute some form of process to help people make the adjustments to the “new.”
February 4th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Dear Ed
Very nice and elaborate description of the change challenge
Many thanks for the mail and the info
Take care
Bye
Shahzad
February 5th, 2009 at 1:58 am
Dear ED,
The write up is very thought provoking!
Very few leaders appreciate this aspect of change management as it affects the people involved.
Thank you for bringing this aspect to the limelight, at least, we will make deliberate effort to focus on this change challenge.
Regards,
Lucky
February 5th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Many of us start with “change of any kind is bad” — and that gets at the heart of Ed’s point: even if it’s good, it’s new and takes time to adjust. If the change is perceived as negative or involuntary, it’s even more important for us as leaders to help our teams work through the transition — even as we struggle with it ourselves.
February 5th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Ed, I’ve noticed the resistance to change even when the change will streamline an individual’s desk. I believe it is due to the stress levels so many of us have both at work, home, economically, health of loved ones, etc. Getting the buy-in from the start to at least try the new process is often the trick, and that is often the most challenging part. Your journal will bring the ray of sunlight to our workdays!
February 5th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
Ed, thanks for this illumination on the essence of what is involved in effecting real change. If more leaders understand the importance of addressing the psychological and emotional issues that people face during the transational period, there would be less pain and suffering and possible death. Most of us spend our formative years being told that what we are doing is wrong and so when we are faced with changes we tend to believe its because we have done something wrong why things must change. This assumption can result in fear and ultimately resistance to the change.
February 10th, 2009 at 8:32 am
a very good one i just hope our leaders will understand this
things and when changes come they should be able to handle situations instead of aportioning blame on others
February 11th, 2009 at 1:32 am
How true this is. As you say ‘flipping the switch’ of change is pretty easy and leaders often flip the switch and run (or hide until the dust settles). Often, they are afraid to acknowledge what everyone is feeling – that change is hard and we recognize that as leaders. If, as leaders, we actually stopped and just publicly recognized that we all share feelings of loss, fear, excitement, confusion, relief, and anxiety and that that’s normal – it would go a long way toward the process of acceptance by and valuing of the imperfect, emotional humans that are the critical element to what we do.
March 4th, 2009 at 4:36 am
At the very least, leaders need to acknowledge people’s psychology of change. I’ve seen too many pay no attention, or be impatient with the process. The cost in productivity is incalculable when leaders ignore the human side of change.