Why Should You Care What Is Driving Change?
Thomas M. Cagley Jr.
What are the pressures driving process change in your organization? I ask the question because I believe that people, teams or even whole organizations don’t wake up in the morning with the idea that they need to change. There has to be a trigger, a reason that helps provide the motivation. That reason will create pressure that change will relieve.
Process improvement champions must understand why change is being pursued or risk failing. Knowledge of the rationale behind change and the urgency of that rationale is an important component to actually making change happen. There are numerous reason why knowing the “why” of change is important. One reason is that knowing “why” will help you select the proper solution for the proper problem. A good think right? A second reason and the focus of this paper is that knowing “why” allows you to communicate the rationale to those affected. Communication is one of the core tools for reducing resistance and promoting buy-in.
Communication is important because left to their own devices every person impacted by a change will develop their own opinion as to why the change is occurring. Those opinions will range from the rational (change will help us become more efficient or change will help us increase market share) to the scary (change is a precursor to outsourcing, change is a precursor to downsizing). The hopes, fears and paranoia’s of each individual affected will be represented when the rationale for change is left to assumption. Opinions influence the level of effort and commitment applied toward the change (the negative side is resistance). Communication and actions are required as a part of a coordinated organizational change management plan.
Organizational change management, communication and their kissing cousins marketing and sales tend to be tough subjects for most IT project managers. Perhaps this is because they are discussions of emotions rather than deterministic tasks. A good dose of sales training or training in how counsel teams ought to be required as part of every project manager’s CV.
In change programs of any size, communication will range from mentoring, cheerleading through persuasion (perhaps in the same conversation). Knowing why any specific change is needed and how important that change is will allow you to engage with your customers in the most reasonable and honest manner possible.
As a leader of change, you are responsible to know why the change you are pursuing is needed. If you do not know, find out. If you can’t find out, think about saying no until you find out. Bottom line, effective change requires effective communication and if you do not know the rationale for the change you are pursuing you will not be effective.
