[The following is an excerpt from our latest ebook published through LeaderLab Papers entitled The Portable Guide to Change. If you like the blurb, download the ebook for free. If you don't, download it anyway and then take satisfaction in dragging it to your recycle bin.]
Most people view organizational change the same way they view a clown standing down the street from them.
It may be a positive experience, but we’d rather it be someone else’s positive experience.
Despite our best efforts, the world continues to change and grow. In order to remain competitive, organizations need change alongside their environment. Changing certain parts of an organization are easy, but changing people is hard.
Most people try to avoid the clown.
For over fifty years, organizations have looked for help in leading people through change. They relied on thought leaders and researchers for help making sense of the mental processes people use to understand and cope with their changing roles. These models can help people become more willing and able to embrace change. At any level in the organization, leaders will be involved in leading change.
So leaders must meet the clown.
Love your Blog, Thank you! I am listening to one of your pod casts on Itunes right now
Thanks Jody. So glad to hear it.
This is good Burkus. A couple of spelling and grammar issues but awesome content. I’m in a ‘Leading Org Change’ class right now( appropriate!) and caught this paper on your site. I’m sure it will help facilitate some discussion!