Move to New Zealand (A Way to Control Change)

William Bridges' masterfully explains change as transition from what was to what will be; moving from the known to the unknown. Transitions can be filled with excitement, fear, anxiety, joy...or all of the above. It all depends upon the change and the choice to change. Becoming parents for the first time; starting college; that first job, or second job, or seventh job, etc. We change everyday...another day older. How smoothly we transition from the old state of being to the new one is about a combination of choice, control and perception. I don't choose to get old but I can manage my perception of aging and I can control how I age.

In the work place, changes include simple things like moving from one office to another office....ah how territorial we humans become when the company decides to reconfigure office space. We return to our caveman and cavewoman roots - maybe not with the physical clubs but with modern clubs of resistance...or complaint. The more complex changes include new systems, new procedures, new policies, new organizational structures. You know the types of changes where employees feel like something was "done to them." The changes where employees feel as though they had "no choice."

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are the toughest changes. I worked with one company during a time when M&A were a strategy to improve the balance sheet. It was purely an accounting exercise. Employees didn't find out about the acquistion until they showed up to work where the sign over the door registered a different company name. M&As are riddled with simple to complex changes and the mother of all changes: cultural change. That illusive thing, culture change, you know the one to which neanderthal executives' classic response is: "Don't be such a baby..."

So how do you best bring together two similar yet different cultures and integrate the systems, processes and procedures? Involve them in the change in as many ways as you can. (duh!) And don't just involve the top layers of the organization - involve all levels. Bring the users of the new technologies, procedures together. Assign them the task of finding the best way to make the change, communicate and implement the change to their colleagues. Agree on what to keep and what to throw out and let everyone know why.

Now as far as those life changes - some of which we have no control...well we can remain in the space of being victims:

• I inherited the genes
• The economy prevents us from our family entertainment plans
  
• Congress made the decision to.....(fill in the blank)
  

To controlling what we can control:

• I exercise and eat right to override my genes
• I took my family to an enjoyable movie in place of that expensive broadway show
• I can always move to New Zealand.... on a retirement visa.

Transitions can be managed.... by creating a positive vision of what will be and can be that is within our control. New Zealand is looking pretty appealing these days.

Choosing to Change

I find it humorous when business leaders ask me to help their employees accept change: "Make them more resilient to change!" The image that pops to mind is shaking employees by the shoulders and screaming into their faces, "ACCEPT THIS CHANGE! BE RESILIENT TO THIS CHANGE. MANAGEMENT DID THIS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!"

Aha! There is the rub. Acceptance to change will certainly go astray if management decides to make the change without involving the employees. When asked, managers explain that the employees don't know how to change the operation. Only the managers and supervisors have the needed information to make changes. Really?

When the change impacts the work of the employee, who knows that work better? The manager or the employee? I once worked with a process improvement team at a Steel Mill. Management was stunned when the line workers could report on what was working, not working and more importantly how they could make it better.

There is some truth to employees not having information just as managers don't have ALL the information needed to make change. Depending upon where the change is to occur and what outcomes are desired; indeed designing the change may require putting a lot of heads together. Anyone who has some part in the process has some intelligence on how to improve it. I've seen manufacturing line workers in the room with engineers and marketing and sales people working together to identify product improvements and enhancements. It is pretty amazing what turns out...certainly a better process, improved product but more importantly excitement, commitment and alignment. That is what change is all about.

Choosing to change is emotional. Why do we then just treat it as an intelligent act...and act of thought and of telling people what the change is?