Change Management Is Easy

I believe, from a management perspective, change is easy. You might be laughing now, given that there’s many courses available and much training dedicated to change management, but I have my reasons.

I believe when we live in balance with our essential human needs - for example, the need for autonomy and control over our lives, and the need for meaning - change is easy, natural and we don’t even think about it. Humans can be found everywhere across the planet thanks to our ability to adapt to the environment… but change management makes it seem so clunky, so heavy, and so hard.

This does not mean that creating change in others is easy. Without an understanding of our innate needs you’ll find resistance fighting back. For example, if you tell me to do something, the following happens:

1. You are relying on your authority,
2. Our culture has taught us to follow authority
3. I will follow you, not because I have chosen to, but because I feel I must.
4. My autonomy over my life is being challenged
5. Like a rubber band I resist until social pressure outweighs my own internal pressure - I snap.
6. I struggle to comply with the guidelines, I feel forced
7. My personal needs have been compromised, I will be in dis-ease.

But how about if you discuss the problem, and I create the same solution?

1. The plan is meaningful to me
2. I have ownership of it
3. My needs for autonomy are fulfilled
4. I struggle, but I see it as a challenge.

This is not to say magic fairies will wand your worries away, however typical change management can be summed as this:

He who resists most consistently, wins.

Work with peoples innate needs instead and your working with them. This removes most resistance and with that chops down the scale of issues:

• Spend your attention with them,
• Make it meaningful with a why,
• Tell them the problem you’re trying to resolve,
• Work with them to see how they would resolve it,

Don’t choke people with compliance. Give them room to grow into the change. It does take time and attention making change easy, but it is possible.

Good luck to you