09 Dec Taking Control of Change
“Change is the only constant.” Heraclitus, Greek philosopher, circa 500 B.C.
by Wayne Forster July 2020
Obviously, one thing hasn’t changed over the centuries – change continues to be the only constant in our world today. But what has changed – and dramatically – is the pace of change. Where once change was gradual and incremental, change today is swift and rapidly accelerating. In fact, we live in an age of hyper-change, where technological, social, cultural, economic, and political changes take place at warp speed.
For today’s businesses and organizations, change can take the form of restructuring, downsizing, mergers, partnering, introduction of new technologies, redefined job responsibilities, realigned workplace relationships, higher performance expectations, revamped products and services, new supply chains, revised mission and vision statements, and dramatic shifts in corporate cultures. In this environment of breathtaking and pervasive change, businesses and organizations, and the individuals who work in them, are struggling to cope – and not always very successfully. Employees become overwhelmed trying to meet greater demands with fewer resources. Managers burn out under the constant pressure to ensure changes are implemented and performance expectations met. Some businesses and organizations are unable to adapt quickly enough and find themselves floundering and becoming irrelevant.
The bad news is that there’s no end in sight. Like it or not, we’re facing a period of continuous, accelerating change for the foreseeable future. The good news is that change doesn’t need to be a negative thing. In fact, change can present opportunities for improvement, growth, success, and personal fulfillment. It can be a positive force for the organization and its people.
For today’s businesses and organizations, change is business as usual. Standing still is not an option. If the business or organization doesn’t change, it won’t survive.
The More Things Change …
Change is a fact of life. The very nature of human existence dictates that change will occur. We are born, we mature, then we die. The world around us changes too. Trees grow, rivers flow, soil erodes. The bottom line? CHANGE HAPPENS!
For today’s businesses and organizations, change is business as usual. Standing still is not an option. If the business or organization doesn’t change, it won’t survive. The push for organizational change today often comes from outside the organization initially. These external forces are often what drives organizations to change.
Resistance to Change
Even though change is inevitable – even natural – people still resist. They resist even before they know whether the change will be beneficial or not, or even when the need for change is obvious. There are two forces at play that give rise to resistance to change. These forces create a tendency towards maintaining the status quo.
Our Need for Predictability: The human brain is hard-wired to seek familiar, predictable patterns in the information it receives so that it can make sense of that information and know how to respond to it. New information (i.e. change) confuses the brain because it doesn’t recognize it.
Society’s Need for Order: We are socialized from a young age to adhere to rules, norms, and familiar patterns of behaviour so that society can maintain order and continue to function. Without order, there would be chaos. Change threatens society’s order.
In organizations, resistance to change can be of two types:
PASSIVE RESISTANCE
Negativity
Procrastination and delay
Lower productivity
Absenteeism
ACTIVE RESISTANCE
Refusal to comply
Disruptive behaviour
Organizing opposition
Sabotage
Why Do We Resist Change?
The tendency towards maintaining the status quo is understandable. Yet, how an individual person or organization reacts to change will vary. Some embrace it; others resist it. People and organizations resist change for a variety of reasons. If we can identify and understand these reasons, we’re in a better position to help them overcome their resistance and take advantage of the opportunities change can present.
Change is stressful, even when it is welcomed change. It requires us to use our minds and our bodies in ways we’re not accustomed to. It heightens our senses, stimulates our nervous system, and raises our heart rate. As Peter Hanson in the Joy of Stress reminded us several years ago, a certain amount of stress is good for us. It means we’re alive! But too much stress can cause all sorts of problems – physical problems, emotional problems, relationship problems, loss of productivity in our jobs.
The Benefits of Change
“It’s not so much that we’re afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it’s that place in between that we fear … It’s like being between trapezes. It’s Linus when his blanket is in the dryer. There’s nothing to hold on to.” Marilyn Ferguson, author and futurist
During times of rapid change, people try to hold on to what they are familiar with. They feel uncertain about the future, so they cling to the past. But if they cling too long and fail to adapt, they fall behind. Then it becomes even more difficult to catch up. We can overcome the fear of change – whether in ourselves or in others – by identifying the benefits of change. Identifying the benefits causes us to focus on the future and helps us begin the process of adaptation.
Taking Control of Change
The businesses and organizations that will survive and prosper in the years ahead are those that are able to take control of change and make it a positive, constructive force. Hopefully, after reading this article, you have a better understanding of what change is and how to take control of it before it takes control of you.