28 Dec The Natural Order of Change
Simplify. Amplify and Focus.
We are naturally programmed for change. When we resist change we are standing still. Standing still in business is dying and death is not a good condition of business.
Have you ever resisted change? Yes you have. I have.
Change is the most constant and naturally programmed human condition. We’re born, we feed, we learn, we grow, we walk, we learn more, talk, interact, feel, understand, keep learning. We start school, we keep growing and everything we understand about the world evolves in rapid fashion. When we’re young we want to “grow up” and we explore and attempt to change our looks, our cloths our voice changes, our bodies change, our tastes change we continually strive for, adapt to and envision change – the future is ours.
Got it? Enough already? As adults we choose where to live, who to hang with, what we do for work and fun, how we interact with family, and all the people around us in our growing sphere. Locations change, jobs change, ideas change, beliefs grow as knowledge expands and somehow – unnaturally so, we create a resistance to change in business.
Resisting Change is Like Resisting a Bowel Movement
Change is necessary!
In a recent client engagement, I hit a big barrier, which is expected. Finding and removing barriers is a key to successfully getting my clients focused to grow revenue. This particular barrier was a bit surprising as it popped up in an unsuspected area in the process of aligning and accelerating sales performance to corporate goals. It was the HR team relative to training. What? Right? Training? “Yes,” they said, “this doesn’t fit with the training schedule and method…” – that isn’t working! There it is, the hard work of getting focused on the right stuff and throwing out the distractions was agreed to by the team and plans were in motion. Believership was being built, everyone felt the energy and eagerly, everyone was ready to get out and make it happen. But another “functional” agenda was a barrier to more revenue, and the HR team was digging in their heals, with conviction.
What to do with resistance
Understand is the answer. Ask and listen. Ask more – find the real reason – the problem from their perspective and then address this new “truth.”
The company, the sales team had to change to get results. Now, my plan needed to change and HR’s plan needed to change and what I learned was the chain of potentially affected parties – all needing to change.
Barriers are not battles, so don’t fight – SOLVE. The issue wasn’t very complex and the resistance wasn’t unreasonable. Budget had been committed, schedules and logistics set and the “rewind” button or cancellation would be costly – both financially and from a credibility standpoint. I get it. That’s real and important. So we solved it. We kept the dates, we did not adjust the logistics, we simply changed the content. There was no need to cancel the “trainer,” we simply created a new lesson plan for her – she was receptive enough to work new ideas into her workshop – and was better for it. Her ‘win’ was the free update and innovation to her practice. Even she as excited about the shift in approach for the sales team and the company.
HR saved face. The budget was spent creating value not perpetuating broken patterns. People smiled, energy increased and results started showing up quickly.
Change is required to Win
Winning is adaptability. Change must happen to create new value. Change creates wins – resistance is the barrier.
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