Making Changes, Leading Changes, and Changing Change

Today's article is the first in a series about Change from Steve Roesler.

What Are You Changing?

Apparently enough that more than a half-million authors & publishers are willing to bet their time and energy that you'll buy one of their books.

They're probably right.

You and I are making, leading, or responding to changes every day. What we really need to know is:

What is the healthiest, most effective way to address the changes in our lives?

So that's the real focus of this series. I'll keep it practical and applicable to life and life in the workplace.

Why is Change So Interesting?

1. Because it happens to everyone and has the "I can't believe this!"/ "Can you believe this?" factor. As a result, it's probably one of the best conversation starters available.

• "Do you believe who got promoted in IT?"

• "Ten pounds? Well, let me tell you how I lost 20!"

• "We don't need one more new housing development."

• "I don't know where I'll end up after the new organization is announced. Can you believe they're doing this again?"  (Organizations are places where stamping something with the "new and improved" label doesn't necessarily make their "customers" go "oooohhh".
  

2. Job Changes Are The Norm and A Process To Be Mastered

George Mason University and the Potomac KnowledgeWay surveyed 400 employed college graduates at least ten years out of college and under age 55. While gathering information about the importance of learning in the lives of the respondents, they also found that:

On average, college graduates have had 4 jobs since college with at least 1 more job change expected in the future. Many (32%) respondents in the Information Technology industry believe that they will have at least 2 more job changes in the future.

Those with advanced degrees changed jobs 1 more time than those without post-graduate degrees.

The majority (51%) of all college graduates interviewed have changed careers at least once since college. This is true regardless of industry or type of degree earned.

3. "We've got to change!" has become an acceptable managerial substitute for "Let's really find out what we need to do better."

Any pronouncement and promise of "change" by a leader or management group will:

• Fend off critics for some period of time

• Create an aura of hope followed by disappointment and cynicism if nothing worthwhile happens

• Cause employees to wince and wonder, "What does 'change' really mean and, most importantly, what does that mean for me?"

If any of this strikes a chord with you hope you'll spend the rest of the week checking in here at All Things Workplace. I also invite you to do two things:

1. Check your RSS reader or the site more than once a day, as I will be posting more than once.

2. Pass along questions, bewilderments, experiences, and solutions about Change. It really is all about learning together.

See you soon...

 

Comments

[Alexander Kjerulf]

Great theme Steve.

The worst part about corporate change is the way any dissenter - anyone who questions the latest change initiative - is automatically labeled as a change resister. Give voice to your fears, doubts or questions, and you will be seen as someone who opposes change - who is not with the program.

When in reality (as your latest post showed) it makes much more sense to openly invite criticism of change efforts.

[Wally Bock]

Good subject, Steve. You note, correctly, that announcing that change is needed will "fend off critiques for some period of time." This is true, but insufficient.

Done well, announcing change can fend off criticism of actual performance until you retire or move on. First you announce that change is needed. Then you select a blue-ribbon panel to create a review of what needs changing. When their work is done, you select another panel (presumably with a different color ribbon) to review the recommendations of the first panel. Then you study their review and draft a change plan. Most of the time this will require one or all of a re-organization, re-writing of the mission statement, or a merger/acquisition.

As soon as you begin implementing whatever it is you've announced you're going to do, you announce that market conditions have shifted dramatically and that change is needed. The cycle begins again.

Done well, this cycle can get you through an entire career as a senior executive without ever being held accountable for anything.

[Steve Roesler]

Hi, Alex,

Thanks for re-visiting the "dissenter" factor. You are sooo right.

As a result of your highlighting that, I'm going to make sure it gets some extra attention.

Thanks very much...

[Steve Roesler]

Wally,

You are psychic.

When I wrote that phrase, I had a real-life example in mind that parallels your not-so-tongue-in-cheek commentary. As you know, it is much more common than the average non-corporate person realizes.

Your scenario is the real reason I finally left internal corporate life. Too many struggles trying to make things happen through too many people who had figured out how to get through an entire career without allowing anything to happen.