Managing Change

Benj just had lunch with Austin Lee, a friend who is a small business coach and avid blogger. Since eyespeak has been growing and changing so much over the last two years, Benj asked Austin to write a post about change for our blog. Here it goes…..

Managing Change, by Austin Lee
Many business owners and leaders have a negative perception of change management practitioners.  One prevailing thought is that all this “touchy-feely” change management is a bunch of fluff that someone made up to make a quick buck.  The truth is managing major changes in your organization is vital.

A popular television show a few years ago was called Extreme Makeover.  The “contestants” on the show were people that society considered to be unattractive.  These people had crooked teeth, out of date hair styles, they needed to lose weight, many of the women wanted breast augmentation, and several men requested reconstruction of their facial features.

Over the course of several weeks they would undergo plastic surgery, dental surgery, exercise regimens, and psychological counseling.  Then the producers would gather all of their friends and family in a room for the big unveiling.

The “new” Father, Brother, Mother, Sister, Daughter, or Son would reveal their “extreme makeover” and everyone would look ecstatic.  In many of the “update” segments, however, that excitement had turned into horror.

After the contestants returned home they learned that being beautiful was hard.  People treated them differently, they got strange looks, and the contestant’s spouses had become ashamed of themselves.  I remember watching one of the contestants describe how difficult it was to be the same on the inside, but so different on the outside.

Changing things inside of a company or organization is no less difficult.  It is the same company, maybe a different name or different leadership.  Having a plan to manage the uncertainties with change will help your organization recover more quickly.

It’s not just a “touchy-feely snake-oil” proposition.  Your employees need to feel safe.  Most of them will not be able to verbalize their insecurity.  It is up to you to communicate and lead them through the change.