Change Management IS PEOPLE!

Maybe this title and image are a little more dramatic than necessary, but it’s true. Change management is all about people, specifically how they respond during times of change. The change may be something small, like getting a new laptop, or huge, like full-scale replacement of every mission-critical business system you have. In most cases, technology changes are expected to be good and help us better carry out our missions. A more robust CRM can yield powerful analytic data; a sharp, user-friendly website draws in support; replacing ancient hardware may not only boost processing speed but also keep morale from seeping out of people’s souls while they wait for their email to load. Despite the expected benefits, change can bring a degree of anxiety or even fear to the people involved.

People Approach Change Differently

Regardless of the type of change that you might be leading in your organization, it’s vitally important to remember that not everyone deals with transition in the same way. You’ve probably known people who have tons of energy and are always keen to jump into the next big thing. And you’ve probably known people who might as well have a tattoo that says “But we’ve always done it this way!”  Understanding and working with those different people is key to successful change management.

It is important to think beyond whether a person is a trailblazing innovator or a change-resistant drag. Most people can add value from wherever they are in their comfort level with change.

Which of the following best describes you?

Steady & Consistent – I appreciate routine and the structure it provides. It gives us a foundation from which we can deal with all the unexpected things that are going to happen anyway. I prefer to focus on improving the systems and processes already in place over thinking up brand new solutions.

Risk Neutral – I’m okay with whatever direction is best for the organization, though I want to be sure we proceed in a smart way. I may not be the first person to suggest shaking things up, but I am happy to contribute when it makes sense.

Change Adventurer – The world is full of possibilities and I think we should always be looking for new ways to improve our work. We should be willing to try anything that could help us achieve our mission. Also, I get bored with same-old-same-old.

Where Are You and Your Team?

It’s useful for people to understand where they might fall on this spectrum when it comes to innovation at work. Most of us will default to a particular spot in this range, but deviate in one direction or another depending on circumstance. Even the most adventurous of forward-thinkers may run low on energy if they’re experiencing upheaval or transition in their personal lives. And when steady people have fully mastered a certain role, they may be more open to taking on something new.

It’s also useful to think about the overall profile of your organization as a culmination of the individuals on this spectrum. If you’re working through a major organizational change right now—be it a restructuring or the implementation of new systems—you’re probably dealing with some strife and conflict within your team. Consider an exercise in which you have everyone line up according to where they see themselves on the above spectrum. Where do most people fall? What does that say about your organization?

Having a heavy concentration at either end should help you frame your organization’s overall approach to change. If you’re too attached to consistency, you may be missing opportunities to take your mission-delivery to the next level. On the other hand, if everyone on the team operates with full-speed ahead gusto at all times, you can end up with more chaotic activity than actual productivity. While many organizations as a whole will lean in one direction or the other, it’s good to have a mix of personalities across the spectrum—to balance each other out and ensure that innovation happens effectively.

Aligning Your Team’s Strengths

In addition to thinking about this in terms of the organization’s direction and capacity, it’s powerful to have your staff think about where they stand and what that means for them. It’s even more powerful when people can see where others stand; light bulbs can go off when you realize that one person’s resistance to change might be rooted not in fear but in a passion for high-quality work. By physically carrying out this exercise, it also creates empathy, particularly for those that tend to be alone in a region of the spectrum. It can be lonely and challenging if you naturally prefer a slow and steady approach to change and you work in a building of constant innovators. And it’s incredibly frustrating to see opportunities passing by if you’re a change adventurer in an organization where everything gets bogged down in deliberation and non-decision.

Understanding individuals’ tendencies regarding change allows you to align their strengths with different roles needed in a technology project and be intentional about securing buy-in. Make sure that both your change adventurers and your steady-goers are engaged when evaluating systems. One will help push for innovative opportunities so that you don’t end up with tools that are obsolete by the time you get them implemented. The other will catch potential pitfalls that might lead to disaster down the road. Get your risk-neutral folks to help demonstrate the possibilities and carry out testing to show the change resisters that things are going to be okay.

Change Is Inevitable

Innovation and change are critical for all of us. Having a strong understanding of how change impacts everyone on your team will reduce the anxiety and fear, making a dramatic difference in how difficult the transition is. In the end, change management really is people.

What do you think? Do you consider the perspective of the people involved in your projects? Let us know in the comments below.