Make Change Work: Staying Nimble, Relevant, and Engaged in a World of Constant Change

CHAPTER 10

CONNECT WITH PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE

Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

IMAGINE THIS

An e-mail arrives from the chief executive officer of your company with the following message:

It is no secret that the past few years have been a struggle. Our competitors are buying market share at the expense of profitability. We must now undertake radical change to ensure our survival.

As a result, we are embarking on a complete reorganization of your division. This change will allow us to streamline decision making, improve communication, increase efficiency, and focus all of our energy on customer needs.

We are a great company with an outstanding team, and I know that we can be even better. We have a history of leading our industry. I know that with your support and commitment, we can regain that position.

What’s on Your Mind?

The intended message was one of crisis and opportunity to generate the creative tension we discussed in the last chapter. Is that what was going through your mind?

Or were you worried about one or more of the following:

• How will we accomplish this reorganization and still complete the work?
• How is this going to affect our customers? Will it really be easier, or will we lose customers in the transition?
• Will this work? Do we have the capacity and capability to pull this off? ...