April 6, 9:48 am
More on dealing with change - do it or die?
In yesterday’s post on change, I mentioned Andy Parsley’s perspective that people enjoy change—if they have some say in how the change will occur.
But be real: How many people do you know that need to change something in their life—but don’t? Isn’t is strange to hear people repeat themselves with “yeah, I need to do that . . . .” but they never do it?
For these people who give a nod to the need for change, and even give their input for how to change, but never change, here’s a good book: Change or Die by Alan Deutschman.
No, it’s not a threat. 
It’s some well-researched psychology broken down into some easy-to-digest concepts. And frankly, it makes a lot of sense.
But if common-language psychology is still more than you want to deal with, John Kotter’s book Our Iceberg is Melting is a much lighter read. Writing in the ever-increasingly popular fable-format, Kotter (part of the Harvard Business School faculty since 1972) makes this short story an easy springboard for talking about change at your workplace.
Kotter tells us that “In highly successful change efforts, people find ways to help others see the problems or solutions in ways that influence emotions, not just thought.”
I would have to agree. If I encounter resistance to change in my management workshops, a conversation similar to the following is likely to take place:
Dan: Judy, do you mind me asking how old you are?
Judy: Not at all. I’m 35.
Dan: In the past five years, have you been learning and changing the way you do things so you can be a better manager?
Judy: Yes.
Dan: Would you like to go back to knowing only what you knew at age 30?
Judy: No way!
At this point, Judy—and everyone else in class—sees the value of gaining new perspectives in how to be a better manager.
Filed in Work, Business, Opinion, Motivation, Management, Leadership, Workplace
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