Change is choosing the path less traveled…

How do you feel about change?

People have different attitudes toward change. Mostly, I feel people hate change since it “shakes their boat.”

I can get a good sense of the attitude toward change based on the phrases I hear in the organization, such as :

This is how we always did it…

My predecessor said they had tried to change it, but it failed, and people are still scared by it.

Don’t fix it if it’s not broken…

People are old-fashioned; it can never work,

The organization is old school; it can never work

We don’t have time to change now; we can hardly deal with the routine.

We are understaffed; we don’t have the budget….

And yet, change is constant, and whether we like it or not, as leaders, we will have to face it

either at the beginning of a new role or during their leadership career, so we must be prepared to answer the question

To change or not change?

And if to make a change, then.

Why?

And when?

The attitude toward change is individual.

I have experienced a spectrum of leaders.

On the one hand – The “Change Guru” – Define their success by the size of the change they made. The bigger, the better. They thrive when they shake the status quo. They want to leave their footprints everywhere regardless of the price some may have to pay.

 No pain. No gain. Change is their default game.

On the other hand, the “Don’t shake the boat.” -Define their success by keeping the routine without making waves. They thrive when things go smoothly, without unnecessary drama. They prefer to be absent from the organization’s history than take the chance of being associated with failure.

No pain. Is gain. Peace is here to stay.

Most leaders are somewhere on the spectrum.

Whether you plan to initiate a change or not, I encourage you to pay close attention to a few things.

Why?- Be clear about why you want to make a change or not to make a change

Make sure it is for the right reason- Organizational growth/people’s well-being/Value to all stakeholders, rather than a personal need, self-actualization, or fear of failure. It is not wrong to do it for personal development or self-protect, but it can’t be the only reason.

When? – Be clear on the right time.

Is the organization ready for the change, are people engaged? Don’t put the carriage before the horses. If you just stepped into your new role, learn first; there might be an excellent reason why things are good just the way they are. If you are still convinced change is needed, take the time to engage others to get on board. In the long run, no change can be successful when it’s forced.

How? - The how may be the most important, and it is highly reliant on the type of organization, the situation, the people, and the organizational culture.

If you have invested in “why? And “when,” you probably now have a better understanding of how. One critical thing for successful change is to involve everyone affected by the change to be included in the discussion from the beginning. By “everyone,” I mean a broad representation of stakeholders within and outside the organization.

With Whom? Gather your “play” team of change agents (a hint- the “change Guru”s) who can infect people with their enthusiasm, the social influencers, the people whom people trust. Sometimes support from a professional outside the organization who is trained to ask the correct questions and create a broader overview is necessary to plan a road map for change.

Change can be the engine for organizational and personal growth when it is planned and implemented with the correct attitude, with playfulness, of course.. ask me more.