by Joshua Padron

Created on: July 31, 2007   Last Updated: June 13, 2009

Effective Change Management -

One constant thing that life brings to every person and organization is change. It would seem to me that by now, people and organizations alike would have the upper hand on this matter, but in actuality they do not. Organizations no matter the size still struggle to accept and adapt to change. The obvious question is, why?

There are a number of reasons why organizations have issues adapting to change. One, is the makeup or the composition of the organization. In other words, since organizations are made-up of people and people in times of change may feel vulnerable, this in itself creates resistance to change. Furthermore, since many times change expose areas of weakness, it seems to me that it would be human nature to want to fight and resist this type of exposure.

Another reason why organizations struggle to implement and adapt to change is because change is communicated out of time or using the wrong delivery method. Timing and delivery are crucial elements to having proper buy-in at all levels of the organization. When the right message is delivered at the wrong time, the positive impact of change is diminished. When the wrong message is delivered at the right time, this also diminishes its positive impact. Therefore, the goal for all leaders is to find the right combination. It is to deliver the right message at the right time to the right people expecting in return that this will assist the organization with buy-in. This buy-in is crucial because it elevates communication to help establish appropriate understanding of the change, thus diminishing resistance to it.

Even when organizations take all the necessary precautions to establish a good time-line, the right delivery method, and the correct message, the outcome isn't always going to play-out the way it's planned. Remember that change is never easy. It takes a lot of planning and maturity from all parties involved to deal with it effectively. Consequently, how should an individual deal with change proactive instead of reactive?

Here are a few thoughts to keep in mind when dealing with change:

1)Increase communication. Good and positive communication will help during the early stages of adaptation.
2)Focus on the problem that's addressed by the change, and not the person who is delivering or implementing the change.
3)Have an open mind to see through the change and not at the change. By that we mean, thoroughly evaluate all areas being implicated by the change, and then develop a plan to transition effectively. It means looking at the end result and not at the immediate pain.
4)Ask for help from your leader.

Remember that it's easier to see things from a different angle if we are open to it. Change should always help us grow and could make us even stronger. Let's begin today by accepting the idea that the one common denominator in life is change. Let's welcome it.

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