Anticipating change
Although many people accept that change is unavoidable, they still view it negatively. However, experience proves that the most successful people and organizations are those that welcome change as an opportunity and know how to work with it. The next ten or twenty years will bring even more change than the last ten or twenty years. Understanding the forces at play will be essential. Every organization will have to become a change leader.
You can’t manage change. You can only be ahead of it. You can only meet it.
Preserving trust in times of change
People are not stressed because there’s too much change in organizations but because of the way in which change is made. Organizations are upsetting people because they do not emphasize values, continuity, relationships, and mutual responsibilities, especially in times of change. In nature, what works well is preserved in times of change. In organizations, the most important thing to preserve is trust, and that means some predictability.
How change is introduced is very important in maintaining continuity and trust. People need to know the values and practices of the organization, the definitions of performance and results, where they stand, and what they can expect. They need communication about what is happening and what the results are. Although things are done differently in different organizations and markets, these fundamental needs remain the same. Meeting these needs create a climate of trust. With that basis, people can successfully navigate rapid change.
One way to help people feel more comfortable about change is to create “Change partnerships” with employees, suppliers, distributors, outside contractors, and even customer groups. Such partnerships help the organization plan and implement change through an open exchange of information. When things are happening, everyone should ask , “Who else needs to be informed of this?” This is especially pertinent if the people involved in the change are in different locations. The fewer surprises, the greater the trust.
Weisheit 1
“Ein weiser Führer setzt seine Kompetenz richtig ein, und ein intelligenter nutzt seine Ressourcen sinnvoll. Denn nur durch Überlegungen führt man ein Projekt sinnvoll, und wo viele Consultants sind, da stellt sich der Erfolg ein.” (Salomo)
Menschenkenntnis
“Es ist betrüblich, wenn wir die Menschen nicht kennen. Schau, was einer tut, bedenke, warum er es tut und forsche, woran er Freude hat.” (Konfuzius)
Weisheit 2
“Ein weiser Führer gibt acht auf seine Worte, denn wer sich selbst beherrschen kann, ist vernünftig. Sogar einen Dummkopf könnte man für klug halten – wenn er sich nicht durch seine eigenen Worte veraten würde.”
(Salomo)
