Recently we held a workshop on change where the participants mentioned something they were hearing in their organizations. "That's how we do things around here." This phrase is often used to explain a cultural behavior or process. It seems to provide plausible deniability and deflect blame for the current situation.
Healthy organizations know they must deal with the challenges of change versus the status quo. No change and you become obsolete. Change for change's sake means chaos rules and nothing is accomplished. Change is an opportunity for learning and growth. It takes leadership to navigate the almost constant transitions.
We're all experiencing change at a pace humans haven't been through before. It affects both our personal and working lives. Instead of working 9-5 in an office, we can work anytime anywhere. Collaboration and sharing of information are expected. Learning fast is a must for adaptability. Where once most felt like their "voice" didn't matter, now everyone is seen as leading with their unique contributions.
And if everyone is looked at like a leader, it's our responsibility to be part of the success of the entire organization. This means helping with change.
The current pace of change means all of us have experienced many change initiatives in our organizations. Some have gone well. Some haven't "gone" at all. To do anything about this we first have to understand what's going on...
"People would rather be unhappy than uncertain."
-Tim Ferriss
We often quickly discount any potential gain we might have to avoid giving something up. Probably because it's not the change we fear, it's loss. And loss is highly emotional and motivational for us. The fear of loss drives behavior to hold onto what we have in favor of the new thing even if we intellectually know it'll be better. Let's look at an experiment to illustrate...
"That's just how we do things around here."
Monkeys and humans are influenced by others in their "tribe". The monkeys had good intentions to save others from a bad situation but the fear drove the aggressive behavior to not climb the ladder. Even though the behavior meant nobody got bananas. The danger is that over time these good intentions are hidden by the bad behavior and become stories that perpetuate the sharing of "That's just how we do things around here."
Another reason why it's hard to move toward a preferred vision of the future during a change initiative is the "Marathon Effect". When any change is announced the person making the proclamation is way ahead of everyone hearing about it. They already know about it and have had time to process what's about to happen and how it will affect them. This means they're days, weeks, or possibly months ahead of everyone else. What they've already been going through is just now beginning to happen to everyone else. They've started their marathon.
The change "adoption race"
You can't avoid this spread of adoption no matter how hard you try. And you don't want to anyway. Team members comfortable with chaos will emerge as the early adopters of the change. Those holding onto continuity will be the laggards of the initiative. You need everyone. You need those willing to give the new change a go and you need the ones resisting a bit to determine the best things to hold onto. Think about this the next time you or someone rolls out anything new. You'll be glad you did and so will the team!
Even well-intentioned caring employees have seen their great ideas become unsuccessful attempts to improve organizational effectiveness. What are the warning signs that things aren't going well?
Getting the "heat" for change just right
Let's use making popcorn as an analogy for change. When there is too much heat you burn the popcorn. Too little heat and the kernels don't pop. Just the right amount of heat makes a delicious snack. The heat is the catalyst for the change!
Too much heat in your organization for any change initiative introduces fear. The fight/flight/freeze response kicks in and drives behavior unhelpful for the change to occur. It also encourages holding onto what's already in place.
Too little heat and team members have no felt need for change. This feels like they're avoiding making the change. This can cause friction, confusion, and underperformance for the desired outcome.
The right amount of heat creates the necessary empathy for the loss, engagement in learning something new, and action. When you see others helping enable the new behaviors you do want, you've got the heat just right!
The next time you hear "That's just the way we do things around here." think about the monkey's learned behavior. Think about a marathon to give you patience in the change transition. Think about getting the heat just right so the change will eventually become the new normal.
Keep leading the change for good!
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