Change Ain’t Easy Folks

This past Sunday my 3-month-old son fell asleep 30min before his typical bed time!  Awesome, right?!!  Thirty extra minutes to get everything just right before the glorious cinematic adventure that is Game of Thrones starts!  Wrong.  He was up about 30min later, wide awake and ready for the day.  Cut to 2 hours later and he is finally asleep again and I finally get to watch my “Dragon Show” (my Wife’s words, not mine).  That small change threw off his whole evening.  For some reason change is hard for people.  Actually, it is hard for everyone and everything; plants, animals, metal, wood, etc.  Organizations are not immune from difficulty with change.  In-fact, change can be especially hard for organizations and the people in it.

Change in and of itself is not a painful concept, it is intended to improve an organization or a person.  However, I have seen time and time again how painful implementing change inside an organization can be.  A change idea typically starts with enthusiasm, then more and more sand is thrown on that idea during implementation.Even though the change may be eventually enacted, the change agent is so tired and worn-out from the fight to implement the change that all of the enthusiasm is gone.  

Change does not have to be this hard.  Let me repeat, Change does not have to be hard!  In my experience the number one reason change initiatives fail or are painful to implement is that the leadership in the organization, from the top down, does not continually champion the change and the change leader throughout the process.  It is not enough to stand up and voice your support at the beginning of the change process. As a leader of the organization you must continue to communicate how important the change is to the organization's future and how that change will improve the lives of those within the organization.  Change agents within the organization are pushing against the status quo and fighting the narrative of “this is how we have always done it”.  As leaders, we need to continue to lift them up, provide the support they need, and continue to publicly champion their efforts.  Leaders, don’t let the enthusiastic fire of your innovative people burn out. Fan that flame,champion the change.

Like with my son, change can throw off our routines, it can make us uncomfortable.  It is ok to acknowledge that change is painful, but we cannot let that fear of the temporary pain associated with change prevent us from implementing innovative ideas that will move our organizations forward.

Leaders, find your innovators and champion their ideas and initiatives.  Provide continuous vocal support throughout the process to make the change easier for your organization and set your Change Agents up for success.

Change Agents, keep faith, keep driving.  What you do matters. You move business forward.  Work with the leaders in your organizations to let them know how important their support is.  Don’t stop moving forward, don’t stop fighting for your organization and the changes you know will make a positive impact.  Continue to implement the changes that MakeIt Grow!

-Kent