When Change Is Hard: II

In Part I of this exploration of the challenges of Change, we examined two sources of difficulty — sources internal (our emotions) and source external (outside pressures). This time, we explore issues related to planning. We'll look at three sets of reasons why planning change is so difficult: unexpected linkages, unexpected detours, and the need for temporary bridges.

Unexpected linkages

Linkages between organizational elements are often informal and unaccounted for. When an unrecognized linkage exists, changing one of the linked elements requires that we deal with the other linked elements.

For example, when one group is physically situated close to another, friendships and associations form. Some of those connections might be channels for ongoing knowledge exchange. Separating the two groups by moving one group to a distant location can stress those connections, degrading performance. Relocating them both together might be preferable.

If we break linkages we don't understand, change can be hard. A plan to move one group might seem perfectly sound, but it can fail if it doesn't recognize the importance of bonds between people. What might seem like resistance could actually be the result of interrupted knowledge flow due to breaking connections.

Unexpected detours and backtracking

At times, only after we begin executing a change plan do we recognize some factors we neglected. When this happens, with a little luck, we can make adjustments and continue. But sometimes we have to stop or backtrack, replan, and begin again.

For example, in an acquisition, if we intend to relocate the acquired IT department, we might find that relocation is impractical because key people would require financial assistance with real estate issues. And keeping those people in place might also incur unsustainable costs. The department relocation plan wasn't defective, though it didn't anticipate real estate market conditions.

If a plan is incomplete, change can be hard. The people involved might not be resisting change — they might actually have legitimate issues that the plan didn't anticipate.

Temporary bridges

When we At times, only after we begin
executing a change plan
do we recognize some
factors we neglectedencounter or anticipate difficulty, we might not be able to change systems directly from their current configurations to the final configurations we seek. Sometimes, we must build temporary bridges.

For example, in the IT relocation problem, the organization might become a lender, investor, or loan facilitator, to enable people who are relocated to secure mortgages for new homes.

Plans that include interim configurations that we intend later to abandon aren't necessarily defective. And the people whose needs we're accommodating in this way aren't making trouble — they have legitimate needs that we must somehow address. Unless we can be flexible enough to find temporary bridges, change can be hard.

When change is hard, and when the job market is tight, some managers are tempted to communicate the change-or-else message. Resist the temptation. Someday, those who are unhappy will have alternatives. And they will choose them. First in this series   Top    Next Issue

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More articles on Organizational Change:

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Changing anything in an organization reveals how it's connected to its people, to its processes, to its facilities, and to the overall context. Usually, these connections reach out much further into the organization than we imagine.

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When Change Is Hard: I

Sometimes changing organizations goes smoothly. More often, it doesn't. Whatever methodology we use — and there are many methodologies available — difficulties can arise. When change is hard, what's happening? What makes change hard?

Obstacles to Finding the Reasons Why

When we investigate what went wrong, we sometimes encounter obstacles. Interviewing witnesses and participants doesn't always uncover the reasons why. What are these obstacles?

See also Organizational Change and Project Management for more related articles.

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