Change Concepts: A Reflection
“He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution, which rejects progress, is the cemetery. “~Harold Wilson
My consulting takes me sometimes to organizations that seem to love the status quo. They will cling to it, fight for it, and drown anyone who tries to rock their boat. It is not easy. My role is made even more difficult by the fact that I am usually being hired in order to look into this status quo and initiate changes.
Organizational Change
I normally ask; why these things are being done this way? Alternatively, why does the system go that way and not the other way? The typical answers I get: Well, you have to admit that things are as they are. Followed by a frowned forehead and shrug of a shoulder. Why do people react that way? For the last 5 years, that continues to puzzle me. No matter how prepared you are to preclude objections and have clarified your objectives, people will naturally resist change.
Change is inevitable. I remember a company whose motto is “innovate or stagnate!” How profound! If you resist change, that is for the better, you will surely degenerate and be relegated to a cemetery as Wilson pointed out. An organization can only compete in a highly competitive, unpredictably ever-changing, and globalized market if it is willing to adopt to and adapt with changes. Otherwise, it will be left behind, overran by its competitors, and eventually close shop.
Personal Change
A person’s maturity does not come with age. Maturity is not the product or result of experience either. Maturity is the result of learning from life’s experiences and from that of the others. Maturity most of all hinges on our ability to adopt and adapt to changes (I mentioned this earlier). Have you heard the maxim: Everything is changing except change? True! A mature individual is one who strives to find ways and means to improve and who tries to influence and initiate positive changes around him. He is not the product of change itself but the mover of change.
However, having said that, I have to admit that there are things that cannot be changed (I know, this will be easily construed as contradicting my premises above, I must admit too). Given that, I will go with Mary Engelbert’s admonition:
“…if you cannot change it, change the way you think about it.“
Am I making sense? How do you conceptualize or view change? How do you react or cope with changes, on the personal level, career wise or organizational?
Let me hear your inputs please.
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I’m familiar with this, too, as a consultant. It’s one thing to come up with a great idea, but that’s only half the battle. Getting an organization to adopt change is often the hardest part.
Erica’s last blog post..Biohazard
Yeah. And sometimes when things don’t work out as expected, you get the blame.
True. The only constant thing in this world is change. You either embrace it, or resist it.
Personally, I don’t have a hard time coping with change, as I always focus on its long term benefits rather than concentrate on how it upsets my current situation. Although sometimes, it is really hard to see its advantages, I just keep on looking until I find reasons to be positive about it.
That’s an excellent perspective there kc. Focusing on the long term benefits will always go to our advantage. We accept it or not, things will always change. So always be ready for it.