Hello all! Last month I shared an overview of my perspective on how we can ‘do’ change differently. In this post, I focus on the importance of being aware of what you believe about people and change.

Do people need to be managed through a change?

If you believe that, left to their own devices, people wouldn’t change so they need a force from outside themselves to control the process and make sure they change, you might:

• Take a command and control approach to change.
• Create change, comms, and training plans yourself or with little input.

If you believe that there isn’t a we and a them or givers and receivers of change; that there is us, human beings working together to achieve business and personal goals you might:

• Take a co-creating, collaborative approach to change.
• Co-create change, comms, and training plans in partnership with the business.

Do people need to feel like they’re involved in a change?

If you believe that people need to “feel” like they’re involved in a change, but not actually be involved you might:

• Map out current and future state in a prescriptive way, then seek buy in.
• Make decisions on what to do, then solicit feedback on what you’ve already decided.

If you believe that people need to be intimately involved in the change from the beginning and throughout you might:

• Go to the Gemba and involve the people closest to the work. Even if the way forward ends up not being as tidy as the prescriptive solution, you’ve achieved built-in motivation, buy-in, and ownership which is the fuel / secret sauce of change.

Whether people are aware of them or not, their beliefs about change and people significantly influence the decisions they make and actions they take. It’s better to be aware of them. Here are two more examples.

Whether people are aware of them or not, their beliefs about change and people significantly influence the decisions they make and actions they take. It’s better to be aware of them.

Do people inherently resist change?

If you believe people that don’t jump on board right away are resistant, that resistance is bad, and that you need to manage people’s resistance and get them past it as quickly as possible you might:

• Do a lot of explaining and telling to get people to intellectually understand, and move forward.

If you believe that resistance can be real, but we label people and try to “mitigate” their resistance far to early you might:

• Listen to understand, be curious, empathetic, and open minded.
• Recognize that people may be passionate, bought in, want what’s best, and have legitimate concerns / an important perspective.

Does it matter how people feel about a change?

If you believe that everything is changing all the time, that the change is going to happen anyway, and that people have no choice so they just need to get used to it, “get on the bus”, and learn how to deal with it you might:

• Communicate that change is the only constant and people have no choice but to change.
• Have little patience for people who don’t jump right on board.

If you believe that people do have a choice to change or not to change and that their feelings are important you might:

• Acknowledge peoples’ feelings and empathize with them.
• Let people know what isn’t changing.

Closing thoughts

I want to hear from you. What are your beliefs about people and change and how do they influence your decisions and actions?

Please post your thoughts and comments below. Let’s help each other become the best change management practitioners and enthusiasts we can be!

Later this year I will be open to work directly with organizations on their change initiatives. Feel free to reach out! My contact information is in the Contact section of my blog. I would love to listen and learn about your change management needs and explore how I can be of help.

Thank you for reading. Until next time, take care and keep up the good work!

Mike