Thinking About Transformation Do People Resist Change? We frequently say that people resist change. But is this really true? Are you wearing the same clothes you wore yesterday, or did you change? If I offered to change the amount of money in your wallet by adding a nice crisp $100 bill to its contents, would you object? We have to be careful when saying that people resist change because there are clearly some changes that people do not resist. In fact, there are some changes that people welcome. Whether or not people resist change depends on the nature of the change. If the change is clearly for the better, people will embrace it, not resist it. It is those changes that have the potential to affect us negatively that we resist. This is where the old adage about people resisting change comes from. People will resist a change which they perceive will result in a potential loss for them. The fact is that people do not resist change. They resist the loss that they perceive may accompany change.
s los People resist change. What Might People Lose? This aspect of human nature can be frustrating. You may clearly see something that needs to be improved—at least from your perspective. Yet the people who need to be involved in bringing about the change are resistant. In situations like this we should ask ourselves what loss do people perceive might happen as a result of the change. The answers can be quite varied—and quite subtle. They may perceive they will have a loss of: ✓ Experience: I knew how to do things in the old way. Now I’ll have to start over and do a lot of work to learn the new way. ✓ Credibility: People looked up to me as an expert. Now I’ll lose my edge; they may even laugh at me.
By Martin Ramsay, © 2010 Leaders Ought To Know™!
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✓ Comfort: I used to know what to expect; it was the way we had always done it. This new way is kind of scary and I’m not sure if I’ll get the support I need to be successful. ✓ Clarity: In the old way I knew where we were going and it was routine. The new way has some unknowns that concern me and I’m not even confident that we’ll succeed. ✓ Employment: I was good at my job in the old way. Will this new way be the first step out the door for me? Once we begin to understand what people might fear they will lose, we can begin to tailor our strategies to lead the change. There are forces that will move the change forward. For example, most changes are initiated because of some challenge, problem, or opportunity. These causes are forces that will propel the change. There are also forces that will resist the change. Some of these forces come from the perceived loss that people will endure. Another important force against change is the force of inertia. Science tells us that energy must be expended to move an object in a different direction. The same is true with people; a leader must invest energy in helping people overcome their inertia. Change can only occur when:
forces driving change > perceived loss + inertia Only when the forces moving the change forward are greater than the forces resisting the change will change actually happen.
Personal Transformation These same principles apply to your own personal transformation as a leader. Most people can identify at least one thing that, if changed, would make them a better leader. (Many people can identify more than one.) We can assume that the change that is envisioned is a positive one. After all, we say the change would make us “better.” But there may also be perceived loss that would accompany the change. Do you have what it takes to transform yourself as a leader? How much effort will it take? Will people support your efforts to change? Might you lose credibility during the process? Might people even laugh at you? Perhaps most challenging of all is your own inertia. It is always easier to keep doing what you’ve been doing than it is to find a new way and make it stick. To truly transform yourself as a leader will require that the new aspect of leadership that you would like to adopt, the new aspect that will make you a better leader, must overcome the potential for loss that you perceive might happen and your own inertia.
By Martin Ramsay, © 2010 Leaders Ought To Know™!
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The Process of Transformation A process is defined as “a series of actions or activities designed to accomplish desired objectives or outcomes.” When we think about the process of transforming your own leadership, we are saying that you will undertake a series of actions or activities designed to accomplish the desired objective of making you a better leader in the identified area. This means you must do something differently—overcome your own inertia—and do so in spite of any fears you may have about the change you are making in yourself. The process of transformation involves five major steps: 1. Know where you are going. Make sure you are clear on your objective. Ask yourself: What am I trying to accomplish? What kind of leader do I want to become? Why would I want to make this change? 2. Be honest about where you are. Take a good look at the kind of leader you are now. What behaviors or attitudes do you see in yourself that fall short of your objective? What habits do you need to change? 3. Know how to get there. Think about the steps you will need to take to bring about the transformation. What specific behaviors or attitudes will need to change? How will you bring about the change? 4. Take the first steps. No change occurs if inertia cannot be overcome. When will you begin your transformation? What needs to be in place for you to start? What fears are keeping you from starting now? 5. Reinforce the change. In order for transformation to be complete you must make make the change a matter habit. Occasionally you will slip back into the old way. When you do, stop. Ask yourself why you regressed. Then review the first three steps and get back on the path again.
rn jou n atio re. m r o sf et the n a r t ll g The I wi w Ho
ey:
The desired future: Where I want to go.
The present state: Where I am now. We will revisit these ideas of the transformation journey again throughout the Leaders Ought To Know™. These basic principles, if applied, can fuel your own transformation into becoming the kind of leader that you desire to be. By Martin Ramsay, © 2010 Leaders Ought To Know™!
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