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Three Realities of Change
Three Realities of Change
October 2, 2001
"The workplace is not what it once was in terms of the relationship between leaders and their organization. Layoffs are common, mergers turn company cultures upside down, new partnerships and affiliations require new attitudes toward leadership, and restructuring makes once familiar organizations unrecognizable.
* Change causes stress
This is true whether the change is positive or negative, planned or unexpected, small or large, private or shared. Change typically involves a loss, or at least a risk of losing something important. Change means moving into an unknown future, reshuffling the cards, developing new habits and methods, creating systems, working with different people, and playing by different rules.
* Change and continuity need to be integrated
We believe that it is important to maintain continuity in your identity, values, purposes, and history throughout out the process of change. The successful leader is one who does this well.
* Change is resisted
Resistance to change is natural, healthy, and valuable. It is actually a good way to send information from the 'changee' to the changer.' If you are leading a change, resistance might alert you to important things that should be kept or modified rather than abandoned completely. Resistance tells you what must be done to make the transition smooth and effective. It tells you where you need to focus your attention as a leader. It points up values, history, and cultural characteristics that shouldn't be casually discarded. It is important to understand where resistance is coming form and to appreciate it rather than dismiss it as bad or inconsequential (Lee & King, 2001, pp. 92-93)."
Reference: Lee, R. J., & King, S.N., (2001). Discovering the leader in you: a guide to realizing your personal leadership potential. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
How does your organization deal with the realities of change?
Discovering the Leader in You is available on loan from the Ohio State University Leadership Center. A complete listing of all the Leadership Center's resources is available on our website http://leadershipcenter.osu.edu/
Created: 2009-01-02, Updated: 2009-01-14
