Funny Fact of Change

We always resist change when it comes to our lives. But when we seek it out, we are happy with the results.

Be it an organization or team restructuring, a new face of life (new location, new house), we tend to attach it with us if we seek it out or are in drivers seat. If it is done at behest, we tend to squirm and wiggle uncomfortably to move and adapt. In these zones, we tend to be on our own to seek the change.

This paradigm taught me few lessons on how to handle change.

1. Germinate a change organically. Keep creating the need till it is felt. Try placing stories on how current situation is screwing us up. What problems needs change to make our lives better (if only some one can get it done).

2. Readying for change is important yet difficult than realizing and rolling out change: Most of us are receptors of change. We are treated as passive adopters. We are considered to switch ourselves as it is wired to react most often than act upon. This kind of works in production factory setup. However, later generations have figured out that getting unions on side of changes makes for better execution.

3. Fears rule when reflection for change: When we get an opportunity to comment on what the change means to you, we are at creative best to bring out all black hat thinking to fore. We can predict and provide for enough reasons on the pitfalls if executed.

Now, this is a good thing as opposed to labeling them as laggards or cynicists or a critic. Stereotyping is a major error of leaders and managers at highest level.

Why is it then that these are not elicited during planning phase and we rely on change as a risk to take chances on the workings of change ?