IYAD-WYAD, YWAG-WYAG

By George Schweitzer

People are creatures of habit, so it is not surprising to find that some individuals are unwilling to change their ways, even when provided clear evidence of new and better practices. Intuitively, we all know that if given a choice, most of us hesitate to change. This is natural, of course, particularly as it relates to adopting new technology! As one example, many individuals still use manual personal calendar systems, despite the advancement and backup capabilities of electronic PDAs.

In today’s business world, progressive business leaders realize improvement often requires change. Those who understand this phenomenon, and champion the opportunity to appropriately change management practices in order to adopt new technology, can see exceptional results in such areas as morale, productivity and profitability.

“At the heart of change management lies the change problem, that is, some future state to be realized, some current state to be left behind, and some structured, organized process for getting from one to the other,” according to Fred Nickols, author of Change Management 101 (2006). He further states that moving from A to B is typically accomplished as a result of setting up and achieving three types of goals: transform, reduce, and apply.

How to Move Forward

• Transforming goals identifies differences between the two states.
• Reducing goals determines ways of eliminating these differences.
• Applying goals focuses upon putting operators into play that actually effect the elimination of these differences (see Newell & Simon).

Once thought to be an exercise in overcoming resistance to change, change management is now viewed as a leadership competency which requires building energy and engagement around a change ( Wikipedia). With this in mind, I encourage you to use the following checklist when implementing change:

Check List for Managing Change:

1. Make certain the mission and purpose of the change is clear.
2. Take a strong leadership role. Apprise those affected of the reason for the change. If people understand the goal, feel in the know, and have the opportunity to be engaged in the process, they will be less likely to challenge the initiative.
3. Answer the WIFM question (What’s in it for me?). In most cases, it is best if people who are subject to the change understand the benefits.
4. Pick strong champions for the cause. Do not accept mediocrity. Role models with the critical skills and energy to back the effort are what are needed. Do not accept anything less. Reward the behavior you are seeking.
5. Advocate team work.
6. Validate criticisms. If they have substance, address the issues and rectify the situation. However, if they do not, and push comes to shove, tell those who are negative that they need to either join or leave the team.
7. Keep communication in check. Don’t let the concerns of any naysayer become the rallying cry against the change initiative.
8. Don’t let past practices or standard rules get in the way (Note: “Change, by definition, calls for a configured response, not adherence to prefigured routines”, according to Fred Nickols.)
9. Incorporate the ADKAR Model listed below. Prosci, who conducted research on more than 1,000 organizations from 59 countries, shows that people must achieve five building blocks in order for change to be realized successfully (Wikipedia)[1]. These building blocks are described by the ADKAR Model and include awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement.[2]
   1. Awareness - of why the change is needed
   2. Desire - to support & participate in the change
   3. Knowledge - of how to change
   4. Ability - to implement new skills and behaviors
   5. Reinforcement - to sustain the change

All in all, the goal of change management is to adopt a new practice and not to accept the old way of doing business. Remember, implementing change will not be easy and will require that you jump many hurdles. There will probably be resistance. You must help those that resist to realize the benefits of the change, and become champions for the cause. You might even want to encourage those affected by the change to become one of the five million-plus who have read Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr. Spencer Johnson and Kenneth Blanchard.

Always keep your principals top of mind, so you don’t second guess your decision for change. And remember, if the old way was working perfectly well, you would not have considered change in the first place.

Whatever you do, remember without change, “if you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got” (acronym: IYAD-WYAD, YWAG-WYAG)!

Selected Sources

Human Problem Solving. Allen Newell and Herbert A. Simon. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs: 1972

Organizations in Action. James D. Thompson. McGraw-Hill, New York: 1967

George Schweitzer is the Executive Vice President, Business Development for UniFocus