Our species is the collective and summative product of all change that has come before us. The current iteration of humanity is the result of change which has either been foisted on us by our environments, our circumstance, or by others. Our environments and circumstances cause us to adapt to change. Alternatively, leaders (business, politics or other) who have seen the power of change and recognized the power in wielding it, have shaped humanity.

Over the past 15 years, with the implementation of IT, we have seen an evolution of the field that some call "change management". Do not make the mistake in believing that change management is a new phenomenon. Change and managing change have been around since the dawn of time. Change is likely the most disruptive and powerful force underlying and constantly operating in both the lives of individuals and organizations. Individuals who do not adapt or create change in their own lives, quite often end up stagnating, whereas organizations who do not embrace, adapt to, and harness change end up extinct. So, how do we use change processes to effect positive change?

The practice of change management has grown, more or less, out of the field of Organizational Behaviour and Organizational Development (OBOD). In OBOD, change is recognized as an adaptive and powerful tool and if used properly, can mobilize business interests in strategically successful ways. More and more, change management has been used as a tool to strategically introduce and manage business systems.

Change management in Information Technology (IT) is clearly a Petri Dish for studying change - how to plan it; implement it; manage it; and control it. Rolling out large scale system changes often occurs in environments with already established systems and processes. Changes to the "old ways" are almost always threatening for those who are or will experience the change. Even if the "old ways" are limited or defective, they are often seen as better than the change coming down the pike. This attitude can be pervasive and often stems from multiple abject failures that have occurred in the IT area, but is likely just a natural human response to any disruption (change = disruption for most).

The results of a poorly planned, executed or followed-up change process can be lasting intransigence; slow or non-adoption; high, cointinued, and/or inappropriate reliance on temporary project staff; political fallout (small p or large P, depending on the environment);

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