By Esther W Hudson MAdEd CPHR, Managing Partner, Capability Connections Consulting
There is an old saying: “no pain, no gain”. In other words, the greater the pain, the greater the reward. Sweat and stiff muscles come to mind, but this may also ring true about other important parts of life; for example, relationships and families can bring both suffering and joy. There is a danger, though, when this is applied to everything. Change in organizations is a case in point. Change does not have to be as painful as it so often is. The failure and pain that we too often experience can be the result of faulty assumptions that we hold about change.
Assumption #1: Change can be “managed”
Since management is about planning, organizing, directing and controlling, we too often believe that if we do these activities well, we will reap the rewards we plan. The problem is, change is really about people: how they feel, what they do, and the meaning that work holds for them. These factors cannot be directed nor controlled. These don’t require better “management”. They require leadership, and leadership is about supporting people. A different mindset and tool kit is needed for “leading” rather than “managing” change.
Assumption #2: Change can be planned
This is a tricky idea because some level of planning is required for all types of change, as plans provide structure and can enable problems to be predicted and prevented, or at least minimized. The difficulty is that there are different kinds of change, which may or may not be suited to careful planning. When the change is initiated as a response to a clearly defined and fairly stable problem (for example, a software implementation), a well-thought-out and actioned plan is a precursor to success. This kind of change has a clearly defined beginning, and more importantly, a clearly defined endpoint. Unfortunately, more and more of the change that we experience is large system and emergent change, and predicting and planning this kind of change looks different. Plans in this case must be short-term, directional, and ultimately disposable.
Assumption #3: Change management is the responsibility of “management”
Today, holding and acting on this assumption is perhaps the most dangerous of all assumptions. At the core, organizations are just people working together to achieve a common goal, which means people are the initiators, implementers, and also the recipients of change. People want a say in what happens to them, and they want to make a difference in the world and the people close to them, and that includes their workplace. Organizations are filled with people who have ideas and energy just waiting to be used. Leaders at every level who can communicate a positive vision, inspire commitment, and mobilize collaborative action with empathy and patience are what is needed today in every organization.
Change is continuous and our world is transforming. We all must be change leaders no matter what our role or situation. Our happiness, our work, and our very world depend on it.
If you want to learn more hands-on change management strategies from Esther, sign up for the upcoming full-day seminar Change Management for Leaders happening over two days, May 27 and 28.
Esther W Hudson MAdEd CPHR, Managing Partner, Capability Connections Consulting
Esther’s consulting work focuses on helping organizations build the capability and commitment of their people to achieve breakthrough results. Leadership development, thinking training, customer service, change management, and culture assessment are particular specialties.
Her experience includes over 30 years of consulting, specializing in human resource development, working with clients in a wide range of companies. She is an accomplished conference speaker and facilitator. Her sessions encourage people to think more deeply about what they are doing and to have the confidence to take constructive action and create change.
Esther received Bachelors of Arts and Education degrees from Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario, holds a Master of Adult Education from St. Francis Xavier University, and is a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR).
