Change management has been the buzz word for quite some time. Any change management initiatives are typically hard and painful as people resist change. Ever wonder why?
I think it is because of the context from which we operate change management. The fundamental view seems to be that change is required because something is incomplete. Insufficient. Broken. Wrong. Needs fixing.
When we communicate with other people based upon our opinions, communication is more about what “we think” rather than about making a difference or what we are committed to creating.
Operating from the view of changing something because it is broken or insufficient is unlikely to produce breakthrough results.
Take an example: what is your first reaction when someone says to you that “you need to change yourself”? Most likely, you will become defensive and try to justify why your behaviour is right. Usually, there is very little possibility of you actually listening to what the other person is saying and whether they have a valid point.
Cultural transformation
To transform something is to create a state where things that were not possible before, things that were not even thought of, would now become possible.
Transformation allows for new possibilities to arise. It is not about fixing or changing anything.
Transformation is based upon the principle that human beings are whole and complete. They have barriers to express themselves and fulfil what matters to them. In a journey of transformation those barriers are removed so human beings are left with nothing but what they are – whole and complete.
Change is at the level of “doing” while transformation is at the level of who you are “being”. We will talk more on the transformation in our next blog.
In the meantime, here’s a great short “culture movie” you might like to check out:http://www.ugrs.net/index.php?section=112.
Till then, consider how many of your actions are driven by a view of change and what are the results you are getting from that.