Managing Change for Today's Leaders

Comments by Pat Obuchowski, CEO of inVisionaria

“After you’ve done a thing the same way for two years, look it over carefully. After five years, look at it with suspicion. And after ten years, throw it away and start all over.”

This quote is by Alfred Edward Perlman (1902-1983). This was a man who knew about change. He is known as one of the 20th Century’s most respected and admired railroaders. He restored the bankrupt Denver & Rio Grande to profitability, held a technically insolvent New York Central together until the merger with Penn Central, spent aggressively on modernizing the Penn Central and positioned Western Pacific for merger into the Union Pacific.

I think if Perlman was to quote this in today’s business environment it would probably read six months, one year and two years respectively.

We all know change is inevitable. We may not like it, but it’s going to happen and we should be prepared for it, especially if we’re the ones to “throw it away and start all over”. So, how can we, as change leaders, manage change and what skills do we need to make the change smooth (as much as is possible)?

According to William Bridges, author of Managing Transitions, when management introduces change, it needs to provide employees with the four P’s: the Purpose (the reason behind the change), the Picture (what will the expected outcome look like?), the Plan (how will we get from here to there), and the Part (what part will the employees play?).

As change leaders we must involve everyone. People must see that the leaders are totally committed before they fully buy into the change. We must be the watchdogs and fire up people to support the change by spreading the word and cheerleading.

Build a cross-functional team to monitor the change and to see where the problems are. Ask for volunteers. You’ll be surprised at who will show up. This team is a great place to put the ‘nay-sayers’ of the change. Some of the most valuable input can be found among these allies and being a part of the change may change them into full supporters.

Remember resistance is a natural part of change. In our current environments, people fear uncertainty. The questions always arise: Why do we have to change if the old way is working? What will happen to me after the change? What if I don’t fit into the new way? What if I become obsolete? Deal with these questions honestly and if you don’t know…say so.

Acknowledge people’s fears. Let them get used to the new situation and encourage and reinforce them for their efforts.

Be flexible. You must have the ability to drop what you’re doing and move to something more critical. Treat everything as a temporary measure. During this time, it is.

Assess. Assess. Assess. Keep assessing the situation. Keep assessing what’s being said and what’s not being said. Keep assessing your effectiveness as a change leader.

Acknowledge the mess. Remember, managing change is about bringing order to a messy situation. It is not a time to pretend that it is already organized and disciplined.

And remember, in the words of Robert C. Gallagher: “Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine.”

You are cordially invited to an interactive discussion facilitated by Pat Obuchowski on Thursday, August 24 from 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at the Bay Café Clubhouse,1875 Embarcadero Rd, Palo Alto, CA. To register, visit http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=104191.