On my travels on the World Wide Web I discovered the following quote:
“Creativity is contagious, pass it on.”
Now, the quote was attributed to Albert Einstein, but due to the online community’s tendency to attribute anything inspiring to the renowned physicist I find the likelihood that he did actually make this remark to be slightly diminished. (Although if he did, then you all have my apologies.)
Nevertheless, the point I wanted to make with the quote is that I have seen some incredibly creative and new approaches to change management over the previous month. These posts have inspired my thought process and seeing that it is ‘contagious’, I thought it would be a good opportunity to ‘infect’ all of you reading this with the creativity bug.
So here are the posts this month that have given me a new perspective and breathed a breath of fresh air into my thought process:
Change Management Bootcamp – Peter J. Reiley explores organizational psychology and the military & Like Mike – Looking at Change through the Eyes of Influencer Mike Lehr
I’d like to get this blog started with two change management innovators two that I had the good fortune of interviewing this month.
The first was Peter J. Reiley, who shared his insights into change in strict hierarchies, and in particular, the military. An interview that truly opened my eyes, not only to a new aspect of change within hierarchies, but additionally to the idea that top-down change and bottom-up change can and should exist simultaneously. An excellent perspective from an aspect of change that is not usually discussed.
More recently, I had the pleasure of conducting an interview with Mike Lehr. Mike is the change management community’s go-to guy on Twitter and his views are extremely valuable to any leader. What was new and fascinating to me about Mike’s approach is his list of top three mistakes [in change management]:
Usually, change managers place a heavy emphasis on process and curbing resistance, and here according to Mike Lehr, lie our biggest problems.
How to define change management by what we deliver instead of what we do
Tim Creasey describes the growing trend that many change managers are beginning to adopt – that the ultimate goal of change management is delivering results. The processes used are of secondary importance. Until recently, much of the emphasis in change management was on the process.
However, with the new thinking, each process will be different because the achievement of organizational results depends on individuals successfully making their own personal transitions, we cannot make a one size fits all change model.
Employee Engagement Isn’t a Sprint; It’s a Marathon
Mila D’antonio gives us the scoop on the importance of preparing for long-term changes. Mixed into her article are some new, profound and thought provoking ideas, one that made me laugh out loud was:
“Training is like brushing your teeth. Just because you did it last week, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it this week.”
Change Management: Change vs. Transition
Those of you who have read my blogs before will know how much I love to explore the nuances of change. (Like when I compared being a boss vs. being a leader) Shelby LaDue captures a detail that had previously eluded me, the difference between change and transition.
“Change is situational whereas transition is psychological.”
Now, I am not going to spoil this article for you by explaining Shelby’s understanding. I will, however, tell you that it is an article that is well worth the time to read. This is an article that will undoubtedly make you think and challenge your existing ideas on change.
Change Management Lessons About Employee Involvement
Susan M. Heathfield highlights an aspect of change that many change managers tend to gloss over: that you will rarely ever have 100% support from all parties involved, and that’s okay.
Her article makes the much needed case for involving as many people as possible in the decision making process, as well as to “Involve all stakeholders, process owners, and employees who will feel the impact of the changes, as much as possible, in the learning, planning, decisions, and implementation of the change.”
We all know by now that naturally, people don’t react very well to change, and experience problems in embracing it. This put a heavy weight on the shoulders of the organization’s leaders, who face the challenge of keeping the heart and soul of the company.
In this article, Angelina Zimmerman explores organizational change and employee’s reactions to it through the eyes of globalization, which put the focus on new technology, innovation, and exceeding customer and shareholder expectations.
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