Check these boxes for effective change in business

 

Whether you are a success or failure in life has little to do with your circumstances; it has much more to do with your choices. - Nido Qubein

 

How adaptive to change are you? Are you an early adapter or a reluctant embracer of change? What is your initial response to the word change? What emotion does it invoke when you hear the word? Do you naturally resist change?

 

Writing in “Management Journey,” Robert Tanner states, “The truth is that human beings do not naturally resist change. We accept changes to our lives all the time, especially when we like the change that others present to us. We will change if we believe the change will be beneficial to us.” And this is a challenge for many leaders.

How well do you communicate the benefits of change in a way that people will step out of their comfort zones and embrace it?

 

We resist change for the obvious reasons: Fear of the unknown, loss of control, lack of clarity or understanding of why the change is beneficial.

 

Or it could simply come down to what my good friend Jeff Turner says, “I’m pretty stubborn,” which is reflective of how a lot of us feel about change at times. We just don’t want to go there.

 

If you are a leader about to implement change in any capacity, make sure you have checked these boxes before proceeding.

 

This change is the right change and comes at the right time

 

Nothing could be worse than making the right change at the wrong time. Make sure that the change is right and your timing is right. If not, you are about to navigate some rough times.

 

This change reflects a consensus of your key people

 

Making change without the input and counsel of your key people can cause great damage. The people most impacted by a major change should be seated at the table during discussions prior to the change being implemented.

 

This change aligns with your values

 

When implementing any change within your organization, make sure that it does not in any way conflict with your core values. Any change being considered or implemented should be a compliment to your values, not an obstruction to them.

 

This change is worth defending

 

When all is said and done, any change worth implementing in your organization must be one worth defending with integrity. If you can’t defend it, don’t implement it.

 

This change will stretch us

 

As is the case oftentimes, change will stretch you as a leader and it will stretch your team. Growth tends to do that. It will move you out of your comfort zone, cause you to look at your challenges in a different light, and grow you beyond what you previously thought possible.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Not all change is good. Not all is bad. How it works for you is the result of the choices you make along the way.

 

©2023 Doug Dickerson