Recycled Bullsh-IT

While we’re all punch-drunk from the jab of COVID and the low blow of Brexit, the only change most of us are thinking of is from double to quadruple gins with our breakfast.

In an ideal world, all change is planned and happens smoothly and seamlessly with your staff blissfully unaware of the many and varied choreographed actions taking place behind the scenes. Of course, even normal change programmes go down a bumpier road due to the many and varied gotchas that appear seemingly from the ether. Or more likely from the many and varied undocumented process steps the business actually carries out but don’t admit to (or even realise they are doing).

 In fact, given the pain of actual change, it is a wonder that anyone would voluntarily undertake a major change programme. Most people bitching about their current systems turn NIMBY at the slightest thought of their now cherished systems and processes being ‘improved’. Admittedly, many change programmes feel smart (as in to be the cause of a sharp, stinging pain, or an irritating application) rather than SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). Also, increasing the frequency of change results in decreasing enthusiasm for being any part of it.

 The effect of all this is to reduce the propensity to embark on grandiose major transformation programmes. This is a good thing as these seldom deliver and the culprit, sorry sponsor, has either moved onto their next big idea or has taken their wisdom to more deserving victims. However, good change is also stifled. What I mean by good change is not easy to describe – the only common denominator tends to be the relief and happiness of the people affected who have a blight or annoyance removed from their working lives. Most of the other characteristics are trickier to pin down, but here is my short and sweet guide to what good change looks like.

•  Short: Any change exercise taking longer than three months will almost certainly be affected by other stuff happening that alters the context of the change and may invalidate it.
• Simple: If you can’t explain the change and its benefits on one slide (or in a game of charades for the more adventurous of you), then it is unlikely to succeed. Brevity is the soul…
• Inclusive: I have ranted many times before on the dangers of doing change to someone and expecting it to stick. Change comes from within and requires each in-duh-vidual to convince themselves of its merits.
• Pincer: Top-down visible sponsorship is as essential as the bottom up buy-in. Both together are normally needed to make change happen.

If you want to know how easy it is this way, just rearrange the initials…

 John “Dyna” Moe