Dad’s Wisdom About Change Management

Last week I published a post called Mom’s Wisdom about Change Management. In the spirit of impartial coverage, especially since my parents assert that a tasty barbecue is attributed to VERY different stages in the cooking process, I would like to offer a different perspective.

Mom attributes a tasty barbecue to HER marinade. Dad attributes a tasty barbecue to HIS grill skills. One believes that a successful outcome derives from meticulous planning. The other believes that a successful outcome derives from flawless execution. Regardless of the attribution of the successful outcome, consumers (guests) have an opportunity to enjoy a different meal than the one they may have expected.

My Dad’s take on change management is also elegantly simple: “Nothing ever remains the same”. This is a fact that continually keeps on giving, whether we like it or not. Toward this end, change activities should always originate with a deep and through understanding and analysis of impacted stakeholders. Some people may not be as adaptable to the fact as others. Organizations must devise a timeless “recipe” to engender support from change advocates and resistors. Between the marinade (meticulous planning) and grilling (flawless execution), organizations have an opportunity to “cook up” stakeholder-driven change programs that surpass baseline expectations.