Change with Confidence: Answers to the 50 Biggest Questions that Keep Change Leaders Up at Night

Chapter 43

How Do I Prevent the Return of Old Ways of Working?

Don't water your weeds.

—Harvey Mackay

Every big change project runs the risk that new ways of working won't stick and old ways will reenter the workplace. This can happen immediately after the launch when colleagues are hesitant about taking on new procedures, or later, after they have become used to them. On-site support teams can usually stop old practices from reemerging by guiding people through the new actions, but the most likely time for relapses is after the project team is disbanded and there is no one specifically responsible for monitoring how things get done. Typically, a few people secretly go back to some of their old habits, and if they are not confronted, they will ...