“In a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to
changing vessels is more productive
than energy devoted to patching leaks.”
Warren Buffett
Talking about change is easy, acceptable, even exciting. Talking and executing are two different things. Change becomes real when we have to change our own attitudes and behaviors, not until.
The wrong picture:
Change movements don’t begin with painting pictures of a castle on the hill – dreams of the future.
People won’t dream of bright futures
until it feels dark all around.
The right picture:
Doom and gloom in the valley always comes before gleaming castles on the hill.
Change movements begin with dissatisfaction in the present. Create want. People won’t change until they want change.
Change begins with those who accept
that the present is unacceptable.
Paint pictures of organizations who failed doing the things you’re doing. Demonstrate the current path is mediocrity at best and death at the worst.
Warnings:
- All doom and gloom inspires defeat not dreams.
- Insulting the present insults those who are invested in the present.
- Making it hurt, hurts. All change hurts because something always goes away.
Suggestions:
- Where possible, celebrate and build on the past and present.
- Help people see where they fit in.
People won’t go to a place
where they don’t have a place. - Provide large doses of comfort and encouragement with honor, recognition, and gratitude.
- Realize all change happens from the bottom up and the top down. Neglect one and you’re doomed.
Martin Luther King’s dream was a top-down and a bottom-up movement. Its real power was it touched and empowered people at the bottom.
Favorite quotes:
“A year from now you will wish you had started today.” -Karen Lamb
“If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less.”—General Eric Shinseki
How can leaders paint dark pictures without defeating the troops?
Tags: bright futures, doom and gloom, general eric shinseki, karen lamb, Leadership Development, Organizational Development, organizational success, Vision, warren buffett
October 13, 2012 at 10:50 am |
The fine lines that distinguish leadership from management. That’s what I take away from this piece, a thought-provoking piece. Who’s to blame for all the original leaks? that’s the first thing to defuse, in moments, if possible — because it is on everyone’s mind, it is built into the fulcrums on which they lever their resentments. A leader coming onto the scene has to first de-lever those resentments, make them irrelevant in the moment and enlist immediate support for his ideas and direction.
October 13, 2012 at 11:02 am |
Dan… Great information… I always hesitate to use doom and gloom when working with major change in an organization, but this article gave me some wonderful ideas…. And I need them tomorrow. I love being open to thoughts and suggestions from others. it broadens my perspective and helps me become more. Georgia
October 13, 2012 at 11:20 am |
Dan,
Well written and well presented. Thanks for the post.
Hugh Ballou
October 13, 2012 at 12:46 pm |
I really enjoyed the sinking boat analogy! Getting people to balance their mindset between running TO something and running FROM something requires the artistic combination of authentic credibility, story telling, vision, passion, and decisiveness. The Stockdale Paradox is helpful to describe this balance as “maintaining an optimistic vision for the future while confronting the brutal facts of today”.
October 13, 2012 at 1:45 pm |
This resembles John Kotter’s thoughts on change. Change involves “thawing” the present, making the change, and “refreezing” at the new state.
Change is unsettling, and generates fear. To lead change we must:
1) Ask WHY we’re doing the change. Is it for our good (bad) or to help the organization better fulfill it’s purpose (good)? Is this the best change possible? Is the timing right?
2) Make the change by transmitting the vision, not once, but continuously, setting early milesones for celebration of parts of the change, engaging those who resist rather than fighting with them, encouraging the heart, giving enough resources to help those in the organization make the change, removing fear.
3) Anchor the change by training people, and making the new way of doing this a way of life.
Most change is not led from the top, but from the middle of the organization. It requires lots of communication, centered on doing what is right for the organization, rather than for ourselves.
October 13, 2012 at 4:57 pm |
I find it easy to get people to agree that change is needed.
The hard grind is getting to the next step – agreeing on the ‘gleaming castle on the hill’. Only rarely is the choice as simple as this gloomy valley or that singular castle in front of us.
More often, there is a collection of competing assertions that someone just ought to do this or that and then everything will magically be alright – castles in the sky if you will.
That’s where leadership is needed – to bring people together with a common vision.
October 13, 2012 at 5:25 pm |
if you can please translate your blog into persian.
thanks
October 13, 2012 at 7:45 pm |
Indeed when we engage in a change project fear arises for different reason in all projects, big or small. That’s perfectly normal. We need to stop making fear the enemy and set a table for it and invite it in for a conversation and have tea or coffee with it. A simple hello is a good start. Consultants are too quick to name it resistance. In my humble opinion this is when the consultant is actually running away from what needs attention most. Stop and say hello, wait a curious moment see what happens.
October 14, 2012 at 3:57 am |
There’s good reasons that change arrives accompanied by fear. Change doesn’t always improve things. Even with the right change in mind, you often go through a period of worse before reaching better.
October 15, 2012 at 6:55 am |
yes. just make it as short as possible.
October 13, 2012 at 10:33 pm |
Reblogged this on Kostiuk's Blog and commented:
Great thoughts about change.
October 13, 2012 at 11:42 pm |
love the doom and gloom reference
October 14, 2012 at 3:14 am |
Thanks for this highly focused and thus very useful reminder of what one should keep in mind when change is looming.
October 14, 2012 at 7:29 am |
Hi Dan,
“People won’t go to a place
where they don’t have a place”.
This is powerful statement that requires leaders to ponder upon before implementing any change.
Creating a sense of inclusiveness for everyone involved in a change process is very important to any team.
Again my leadership skills have been strengthened.
Thank you,
Kel
October 14, 2012 at 11:16 pm |
It’s an interesting article. My government agency work unit is going through a major change right now. It’s interesting how the article says its important that change happen top down and bottom up. My struggle being near the top (#3) is that the top sees change is needed as does bottom. The problem is middle management. The middle is causing good top and mostly bottom people to leave. The middle talks big but buckles at the first sign of trouble. I hate it and try to hide my true emotions. I’m not sure how this is going to work. We shall see.
October 15, 2012 at 12:14 pm |
Nice post, and very concise for a topic that is quite in depth. As an OD practitioner who often works with change and resistance, I would add one caution. You mention “Realize all change happens from the bottom up and the top down. Neglect one and you’re doomed.” I see no mention of lateral? Just top down or bottom up can cause bottlenecks among other issues. Communication and commitment to change must also occur laterally among employees and stakeholders if resistance is to be most minimized.
October 15, 2012 at 12:36 pm |
Your favorite quote from Gen. Shinseki is spoke on — especially in today’s world: “If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less.”
October 15, 2012 at 12:37 pm |
SPOT on (sorry from my poor proofreading)
October 15, 2012 at 7:06 pm |
Excellent post and discussion. You might also enjoy this post http://martindavis01.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/change-management-part-1-cracking-the-code-of-change/
October 19, 2012 at 8:18 am |
Thanks for a very insightful and useful post. Fully behind ensuring transformation happens to land the change.
Your comments mirror William Bridges Leading through Transformation which is my go to when driving change
Thank you