Metamorphosis Series (2 of 3)

Change or Bust #2: Why, Why Now, and WIIFM

“We live in a world changing so rapidly that what we mean frequently by common sense is doing the thing that would have been right last year.” — Edwin Land (inventor of the Polaroid camera)

The foundation of every change management plan is to articulate what the change is, why its needed, why it’s needed *now*, and why the people who have to do something differently should want to do it diffently.

When these questions are answered, the change practitioner, sponsor, program lead can begin to craft a commonsense set of experiences, notes, posts, training, and communications to grow awareness and desire for the change (ADKAR).

Understand the challenges of change management

Change management is more than just communication and training. It’s about changing hearts and minds. And that’s no easy task. Organizations need to understand the challenges to successfully navigate change and develop strategies to overcome them.

People are creatures of habit and often resist anything that disrupts their routine. This is true even if they can articulate everything that is wrong with the status quo.

Humans want change but seldom want to change.

That’s why creating a compelling case for change is essential, as is ensuring that employees understand how the new system will benefit them personally.

Another challenge is the lack of buy-in from senior leadership. If the people at the top aren’t on board with the changes, it won’t be easy to get everyone else on board.

Finally, change can be disruptive, both to individual employees and to the organization as a whole. It’s essential to manage expectations and set realistic goals to minimize the negative impact of change.

By understanding these challenges and using proven change management strategies, organizations can successfully navigate even the most challenging transitions.

“The present is the past biting into the future.” — Edwin H. Land

Increase desire for and manage resistance to change

In any organization, change is inevitable. However, this doesn’t mean that resistance to change is nonexistent. Employees often resist even the most well-intentioned changes, whether due to a fear of the unknown, success navigating the current state, or a desire to stick with “the devil the know.”

As a result, managers need to be aware of the potential for resistance and take steps to manage it. One way to do this is to communicate the reasons for the proposed change and stress its benefits from the end user’s point of view.

This is also called conveying ‘what’s in it for me’ (WIIFM) to the people who have to perform the change. In addition, managers should consult with employees to get their input on implementing the change.

Another idea to consider when faced with a significant percentage of the population who is not comfortable with and very resistant to using new tech is reverse mentoring.

This is where you pair staff who are comfortable with the latest technology (not necessarily young people) with team members who aren’t. This way, more tech-savvy staff can help teach their colleagues how to use the new system and quickly get them up to speed.

Finally, remember that managing change is a process that can and must be tweaked to flex with the reality of the resistance. Take these ideas and try others to help minimize resistance and ensure that changes are successfully implemented.

“[The Polaroid camera is] a system that will be a partner in perception, enabling us to see the objects in the world around us more vividly than we can see them without it, a system to be an aid to memory and a tool for exploration.” — Edwin Land

Help people understand the need for change

Telling people that if they don’t change, the business as they know it will die is one ‘burning platform’ that, if proposed compellingly, will convey the need for change.

The thing is, most businesses are going to have to face some form of change at some point — whether it be environmental, such as regulation forcing them to cut emissions; economic, such as a recession hitting and affecting their customer base; or social, such as a new generation of workers with different values and expectations.

And while some forms of change can be positive — such as an opportunity to innovate and grow — others can be more challenging, such as downsizing.

But regardless of the type of the modifications a business faces, the key to successfully navigating it is understanding why the change is necessary in the first place. Only then can managers develop a plan for how best to manage it.

Marty Linsky and Ronald Heifetz, two of the world’s most preeminent experts in leadership, say that leaders have to be on the dance floor AND get up on the balcony. They mean by this that managers have to reframe how they look at the concept of the big picture:

“Leaders who apply adaptive leadership theory go beyond simply addressing challenges and finding ways to solve them. They also anticipate challenges and are able to identify their root causes” (Linsky and Heifetz).

By the theory of adaptive leadership, sponsors and the coalitions of stakeholders they form must define and convey the why, WIIFM and why now effectively. To do so, they have to associate the change at the corporate level and at the work or product creation level too.

“My motto is very personal and may not fit anyone else or any other company. It is: Don’t do anything that someone else can do. Don’t undertake a project unless it is manifestly important and nearly impossible.” — Edwin H. Land, Forbes magazine, May 4, 1987

© 2022 K. Joseph All Rights Reserved

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🧚🏾 This article series was created after I heard about the fate of the Polaroid Company in the podcast, Hidden Brain featuring psychologist Wendy Smithand a conversation with Luis Giraldo about changing hearts and minds.

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