‘Death and taxes are the only certainties in life’. Perhaps this used to be true, but no longer, there is now a third certainty:
Change.
Like it or not, it is happening around you right now.
Those charged with the responsibility of running enterprises, managers and Directors, have to be able to lead change, taking all stakeholders with them.
Clearly not all are capable of changing themselves, let alone leading anyone else.
It seems to me that people react to the prospect and fact of change in one of 4 differing ways.
Change avoiders.
There are those who are rooted in the past. Whatever the status quo may be, it is not as good as it has been in the past, so they are positively motivated to ensure that you do not move further away from this past nirvana they see
Only when there is no choice. These people will not welcome change, they want nothing to be different, and will only change at the end of a pointed stick, and often then only when it is too late, the train has left the station, then they complain about missing it.
Change followers.
There are those who want to be led, they are open to change , as long as somebody else does it for them, and ensures their life is easy. Generally they are happy to tag along and take the benefits of change, and make the contributions to the change so long as they are assisted to it.
Change troublemakers.
This is what they are seen as, but these are often the ones who actually make it happen, the ones who treat the risks and challenges of change as a personal opportunity to make a mark.
Change embracers.
This group seeks change all the time as some sort of stimulant, sometimes as an antidote to everything else that is annoying them in their lives. They are often counter productive as they forget that change does need to be allowed to evolve, and bed itself down, or it fails to take hold.
These four groups fall neatly into a quadrant, and you do need elements of all four in a change project, as when well managed, all have something to offer. In assembling a team to develop and implement change, a careful selection of the ‘change profile’ of all potential members should be considered in order to get the blend that best matches the sorts of outcomes you anticipate, and the nature of the task. Knowing yourself, which group you fall into is a pretty important first step.
Cartoon credit: Hugh McLeod at gapingvoid.com
