Tuesday, October 21, 2008

7 Truths about people and change


There is probably not a single person on earth that is not somehow affected by change. We are living in a world of innovation, re-engineering and transformation. Everyone experiences change differently, and everyone reacts differently to change.
Some people thrive on change, while other people find it very painful. Change requires a great deal of flexibility and adaptability, and because of this many will be dragged down, engulfed and perish if they can't manage to adapt to change.

Following are 7 truths about how people behave when undergoing change:

1. People feel awkward and self-conscious


Many believe that the next generation will be more adapted to change, as people who are raised in an ever-changing environment are comfortable with the changes going on around them. They are inspired by it and in a sense, prefer a life that throws constant change at them.
For the majority of us change is scary, painful and unwanted.

2. People firstly consider the sacrifices


In general we are a species that analyse the worst-case scenario. People will first think about what they have to loose in order to gain something else. The challenge we are faced with in any organisation or marketing effort is to overcome these "fears" by painting positive expectations and outcomes that will overcome this natural defensive behaviour.

3. People feel alone


People are afraid of showing their fear and anxiety in an effort to appear strong and confident. By hiding the anxiety and fear, communication is smothered and you will find quite few people pulling on their collars and stiffening their upper lips. During change, when communication is crucial, you will find many people isolated and alone.

4. Everyone has their limits


People can handle only a certain amount of change. One of the keys to successful change is timing. Experiments where done on the administering of change. When change is administered in small dosages, in an effort soften the impact of change over a longer period of time, people showed a downward trend in morale after the second and third dosage of change. It was also found that a lack in trust towards management was much higher.
Companies who had the most success with regards to change were those who made major steps in short time frames and practiced good communication skills. When people know what they are working towards they are willing to take the pain for a little while.

5. Not everyone are equally prepared for change


When the word change is mentioned you will find people who are geared up and ready to go, while others are still anchored to their morning coffee and wondering what the day will bring. When "calculating" the readiness of the people around you, consider the lowest common denominator. It is the laggards that ultimately determine the pace of change, not the people running up front. The harder you push for change the more resistance you will experience in return. By following my blog this week I will reveal how you can speed up the process of change, even for the less enthusiastic.

6. People will never have enough resources


one of the first things you here within an organisation where change is taking place is, "We could do it if we only had more...".
People will always need more resources, even though they are nor utilising the resources they have. If you look around there are many untapped resources. Most of them available, others borrowed, some stolen and others unknown. These are all resources that can be utilised to get through a tough change. You can either make it work, or leave it completely. Unlock hidden resources by asking for people's input on alternative resources. People usually don't volunteer to offer resources, but if asked they often share.

7. Old habits die hard


Change is a temporary force that needs to be applied constantly until the change becomes the norm. if you take the pressure off to early during change you will revert to the old way of doing, and never find your new North.

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