Change is tough

We recently traded in our old car that for various reasons had outlived its usefulness and it occurred to me that as nice as it is to get something new, there are inherent issues with those changes – namely learning where all the buttons are and especially the gas cap release.

Likewise, as I have worked with a number of credit unions on implementing our Enterprise Content Management (ECM) systems and specifically the Workflow and Business Process management (BPM) components, it also struck me how difficult change can be on others as well – especially in the ever-changing world of technology.

In the case of the ECM systems, employees must learn to follow the business rules assigned to each process. Even though automation can greatly enhance their productivity, getting employees to change how they go about their work can be a significant challenge.

I was at an implementation meeting recently where, despite all the productivity gains that could be realized, some employees just simply would not accept the small changes in their work environment and created roadblocks to the success of the project.

Management wisely realized that going head to head with these employees was neither going to be productive to them nor to the credit union. Instead, they chose to sit down with them to discover what their concerns were related to the changes.

Several employees expressed anxiety of the perceived threat of employment as reasons to fight the change, while others were so stuck in the “old ways” that they were not going to accept a new way of doing things regardless of the benefits.

Once employees were re-assured that their employment status was not under threat and that adopting change and learning the new system would actually increase their opportunities with the credit union, resistance from them virtually disappeared.

Unfortunately, those employees who could not or would not accept change were given opportunities to reassess their employment options by moving to other areas or seek new opportunities elsewhere – which, sad to say, some did.

After using the new system for several months, the employees who had eagerly accepted the change – as well as those who required a little coaxing, were re-interviewed. Both groups had become strong advocates of the new system and its methodologies.

When asked why the sudden change of heart, almost unanimously they stated that they actually had more time freed up to do other projects and felt that they were actually being more productive and valuable in their work assignments. This change obviously led to happier employees.

Now I am not so naïve to draw any global conclusions that every change we make in our lives whether personal or work related is going to create a sense of unbounded euphoria. But it did confirm some wisdom gleaned many years ago while going through Officer Candidate School.

That little piece of wisdom went something like this:

• Make a decision!
• If you make a decision, things happen.
• If you make a good decision, good or even great things happen.
• If you make a bad decision, bad things may happen. But you can correct that decision and learn from it and potentially change it to a good outcome.
• If you make no decision, then nothing gets done – which can create worse consequences for everyone involved. Indecision kills.
• So you weigh the facts, evaluate your choices and you make a decision and then act on it and adjust as necessary.

Everyday, businesses make good and bad decisions and behind those decisions are people trying to do their best. And, yes, some work out better than others. However, not willing to accept change or making the decision not to accept change accomplishes nothing and can create negative consequences for everyone involved.

Looking back at those employees who willingly accepted change and those that came around to the idea of change in this example, all benefitted from getting behind it.  Those who did not and were indecisive were left behind.

One of the best lessons I was taught came from my first boss and mentor who had retired and came to work at the small company I was at after a successful career as the World Wide VP of Sales and Marketing for a large fortune 100 company.

He simply saw change as an opportunity to succeed. He followed this mantra both in his personal and his professional life.  When changes came he did his best to make them succeed. When changes came that did not create the desired outcomes, he modified his approach to them and offered alternatives that could create successes

The lesson learned was not fight change but rather look for ways to succeed at it if possible. If not possible, change the paradigm so you can succeed.

I wish more companies and people would adopt a culture and mindset like his to look for ways to succeed instead of staying in the status quo – especially in the world of technology.

So how did the changes work out with our new vehicles?  Very well so far. My wife took the new car and I got the old one. She has torn apart the new users manual to learn everything she can about all the bells and whistles that Detroit thought we needed in the accessories department.

Do I mind the old car? Nope, I am fine with it. But I did install a new radio with a lot more features so we both can claim “Bluetooth” enabled!

However, the best change was the attitude of my wife – especially on snow days. She no longer dreads the commute, but instead looks forward to doing battle with the elements.

It might be because her new ride is a rather large pickup truck instead of an old Buick. But I am proud that she was willing to embrace the change to a new vehicle. Yeah, real hardship!

So I am curious: How many of you are still running Windows XP?