The Unsustainable Change-Management Strategy | Business ...

This morning, I read a great blog by the consistently brilliant Seth Godin. And I couldn?t help but come back to the change-management issue that?s irritated and intrigued me for years.

Let me start by recapping the post. Godin talks about the impossibility of measuring fear. Although we can?t measure it, we do our best, given our scenario and feelings, to gauge our likelihood of giving into or getting over fear. The fear, seemingly driven by an owner of its own, is capable of scaring us to severe or insignificant levels, which at times, can leave us convinced we have little control over what?s consuming our fear-filled realities. (And this is my addition: that apparent lack of control over our own feelings and future can make us even more anxious.)

I agree with this post. This is also why I believe many managers and leaders use fear-saturated strategies to ?drive? people toward change. In one sense, it makes sense. On the other hand, it?s unhelpful, harmful and seriously counterproductive.

I?ve blogged about this burning-platform strategy in the past, so I?ll do my best to avoid redundancy and make a different point, which is centered on the lack of sustainability that?s inherently part of any burning-platform plan.

The burning platform equation is easy:
? Determine what needs to change.
? Determine who would be involved in the process and affected by the change.
? Determine what?s important to these employees (what they value).
? Use what they value to scare these employees into buying into your strategy.

Instead of actually inspiring your employees to do what they need to do to drive positive change, you are scaring your employees to do what they must do to keep their jobs, avoid their worst fears and please a frightening leader. This can lead to many things, but one very prominent workplace pattern typically unfolds: employees and leaders are on two separate pages.

The lack of congruency between leaders and their teams occurs because leaders have hope in the changes they are about to drive, so they experience positive feelings during the change-management process. This is in stark contrast to the employees? experience, which is permeated by panic. This lack of consistency between leaders and their teams can lead employees to resent and disrespect their leaders. It can also lead to major misconceptions on the leaders? behalf. If they aren?t aware of what their employees are experiencing, feeling and thinking ? instead of doing good, they are actually driving a damaging wedge in the workplace. And once a company?s culture becomes divided, anything (and everything) can go awry.

This is one of the many reasons I urge leaders to fear fear-induced strategies. Now, I want to hear from you: What has been your burning-platform experience? Share it below!

Source: http://wcwpartners.com/employees/the-unsustainable-change-management-strategy/

eastman kodak eastman kodak richard cordray shannon de lima joe torre west virginia university michele bachmann