This is going to hurt!

I find it amazing how people react to change.  Whether it is a big change like a new system at work, or something small like what sort of coffee is being stocked in the break room; change brings fear.  Fear of failure, of hardship, of leaving the familiar behind.  We know this from learned experience.  When we have had to change in the past it has caused us pain.  Think of a child having to move schools and all the bonds they must break and replace, or someone quitting cigarettes and the rituals they will have to recreate in another outlet. 

Additionally, we have evolved to instinctively fear change.  Not so long ago, in evolutionary terms, we were a tribal animal.  If the tribe succeeded, we succeeded.  If it perished, we perished with it.  As a tribe, change meant danger.  Changes to the tribe’s food could potentially mean famine or poison.  Changes to where they lived exposed them to the dangers of the elements in a new environment, which had to be learned.  A change of leadership would almost certainly mean conflict.  As an animal, we have not forgotten this.  The emotional reactions felt when we are faced with changes in our organisations are echos of these survival mechanisms.

Business coaches are awash with models and coping strategies for change.  Some help to warn of the friction that change can bring in the workplace, such as the Fisher Model.  Others, as with Kotter, seek to help us organise our people, making change as smooth as possible and bringing everyone along for the ride.  However, managers and leaders beware; none of these models exist to make our lives free from strife.  Rather, they exist because those that formulated them knew that periods of turmoil are simply unavoidable during times of change.  Just because we enact a clever strategy to improve our business, our people will still feel those tribal emotions of worry and fear.  It is still our responsibility to lead them through the painful time and get them to that better operating space.  Remember, life is painful; anyone that tells you any different is selling something.

That is not to say that these models have no place in bringing about positive change in our organisations; far from it.  I teach these and employ them to great effect and they can be excellent handrails for a manager faced with a new situation.  Rather than thinking of them as a cure-all for the strife that organisational change will bring, think of them more as a mild pain killer.  The fear and the pain will still be felt, but as a group you may be able to ride the waves a little easier.  All of these strategies teach communication and team work as the cornerstone of change leadership.  That remains our responsibility as leaders.  When looking for guidance in this area, be wary of anyone who says they have the perfect solution or that they can instigate change without anyone feeling discomfort.  It probably means they either do not understand the problem or they do not understand the effect they have just had.

Leading change is entirely possible and positive, even for a less experienced manager.  When looking for a coach or mentor to guide you, find one that can help you use strategies to suit your leadership style and avoid those that tell you that it will be all plain sailing; they are selling you a fantasy.