Change is a Double-Edged Sword

Posted by Jim Connolly on 12 May, 2009  Email This Post -  Print This Post

Change is the buzzword these days, especially in this new economic reality.  The economy is forcing us to make organizational changes to adjust to the “new normal.”  As you make changes in your organization, beware that change is a double-edged sword.

Organizational change, when done well, brings improved employee performance and organizational results.  Companies become more focused on the customer.  Processes are streamlined as redundancies are eliminated.  Employees are more engaged in achieving organizational goals.

On the flip side, change can bring confusion, miscommunication, resistance and failure.  Here are five reasons not to take change efforts lightly:

• First, the status quo, the current situation today, is less disruptive than any change, even a good one.  As human beings, we prefer a stable situation to a changing situation.
• Second, as bad as the current situation is, the current results could be better than the results achieved with the new way of doing things.  If the change effort is poorly implemented, the new process could, in fact, generate poorer results than you achieve currently.
• Third, changes have unintended consequences.  Every decision has consequences.
  For example, you restructure your customer service process and organize customer service people by industry instead of by sales person.  It will result in better service because they are more knowledgeable about the customer’s industry.  That’s great, except that your customers still prefer to deal with their “favorite” customer service rep. 
• Fourth, the chances of success are low.  The reality is that the data on the results of change efforts tells us that the chances of successfully implementing any change initiative are low.  The fact is that the pull of the status quo is very strong and very resistant to change.
• Finally, employees will only give you so many chances before they tune you out.  Employees will say “Here they come with another flavor of the month,” as they learn to tune you out because they have “real work” to do.

Lead your organization boldly and make the changes necessary to move your organization forward.  In the process, be aware of the pitfalls of change efforts and work to minimize their impact on your progress.  Lead on!