I don’t mean holidays. I don’t mean your birthday (or someone else’s). I don’t even mean milestones. I mean the small steps on a project. The shifts in perspective about a change. The ways in which your team supports each other. It’s way too easy to plow onward with the ever-growing to-do list, the endless projects, and, of course, the …
There’s nothing “soft” about this
Many of the skills I teach could be lumped into so-called “soft” skills. But there’s nothing “soft” about the impact of change on people – the people we lead, the people we work with, the people we live with. Change is hard. And when it’s change coming from outside the organization, without even the minimal control we might have professionally, it’s …
Sniffles? Sore throat? Resistance?
Sniffles and a sore throat are symptoms. Could be a cold, could be the flu, maybe RSV or Covid, or any number of other ailments. Resistance is a symptom. It’s not The Thing that’s keeping people from participating fully with your change initiative. It’s a symptom of something else, and treating it as if it were “just” resistance is not …
It’s not your imagination (with a formula!)
I wrote last week about CEO concerns around change and disruption. That was before I saw recent research from the consulting giant Accenture, which indicates that the rate of change over the last four years has accelerated 183 percent. So, yeah, it’s not your imagination: change really is coming at us faster than ever before. Last year alone, according to that …
Change is … the new black
Yes, I said it: change is the new black. It’s a cliché, certainly. But the rate – and impact – of change is not stopping. If you want a different cliché, I could say it’s the “new normal.” CEOs of major corporations, according to a recent study from consulting firm Alix Partners, are worried. They’re worried that they don’t have …
You can’t do change perfectly
There’s no such thing as “perfect” change, no matter how well or how thoroughly you plan. As boxer Mike Tyson observed, “Everyone has a plan – until they get punched in the mouth.” Change is inherently unpredictable and uncertain, and expecting it to be anything else will earn you the equivalent of a punch in the mouth. While not physically painful or …
Culture, identity, and change
All change is culture change. And all culture includes identity. Two simple statements with a lot to consider. Let’s unpack them. All change is culture change This one is fairly simple to explain, though not so simple in practice. Any time you change how something is done – whether it’s a systems change, a process change, a reorganization, new technology, …
Got uncertainty? Good!
There is nothing certain about change. So if you, as a leader of change in your organization, are feeling uncertain? Good. That’s real, realistic, and normal. Trying to pretend otherwise isn’t going to help you succeed – in fact, it’s likely to lead to problems. Your people probably feel even more uncertain. And while there are plenty of proclamations out …
The Comfort Zone and Change
We’ve all heard it. “Get out of your comfort zone!” And (absurdly), “Get comfortable being out of your comfort zone!” It’s considered the bare minimum, Captain-Obvious-level advice for anyone who wants to change, grow, and succeed. (As a side point, I consider the second directive to “get comfortable” outside the comfort zone to be ridiculous. If you’re comfortable, then by …
Is change hard? Or …?
There’s a common belief that change is hard. I disagree. I think mostly change is uncomfortable. The human brain loves routine, habit, consistency, familiarity. Shifting away from that – creating change – means the brain has to work harder… and fundamentally, the brain prefers to be lazy. It’s a neurobiological energy-conservation thing, as I wrote about here. Leaders of change in …