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Difficulties with change

Difficulties with change. Chinese character for crisis = THREAT + OPPORTUNITY. First you see the threat! In a change process, certainties are eliminated and people meet their deeper fears Managers are afraid to tell bad news, but uncertainty is worse than bad news

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Difficulties with change

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  1. Difficulties with change • Chinese character for crisis = THREAT + OPPORTUNITY. First you see the threat! • In a change process, certainties are eliminated and people meet their deeper fears • Managers are afraid to tell bad news, but uncertainty is worse than bad news • Change always requires a change of culture • Managers often don’t realise that they have to change themselves in the first place, and a consultant is (or can be) a manager of change

  2. Three types of people can be distinguished in a change process: • Eager to change • Willing to change • Resistant to change

  3. People: Eager to change • Active, anticipating and self-adjusting attitude as an autonomous personal characteristic • Strive to assess one’s own performance and that of the department against the firm’s objectives • Strive to really introduce and implement change • Usually 20% of the population (general experience, not scientifically established) • Sometimes a small area of observation which may lead to sub optimisation

  4. People: Willing to change • Willingness in principle of people to cooperate in change processes • Passive willingness, no resistance, willingness to cooperate if someone else takes the initiative • This willingness depends on the perception of the objectives of the change process; it is hence conditional • Usually 60% of a population • High chance of resistance if the change process is badly managed

  5. People: Resistant to change • Totally inflexible; will not cooperate under any circumstance • Justification of this attitude by clichés • Number is dependent on past experiences but also autonomous • Usually 20% of a population • Sometimes strong and emotional resistance against the change, also when it is not in the person’s own advantage

  6. Relevance for consultancy skills: • A consultant is an external change manager. • In that you will have clients in all three categories, recognizing and understanding their attitudes towards change can help smoothening the process. • If you perceive yourself to be resistant to change, consider not going into consultancy Reference: David Smith (2010), Exploring Innovation

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