Dear Friends,
First of all, let me wish you a great new decade ahead! Let this decade be the most fruitful in your career! And one very important ingredient for success is change.
I recently came across a paragraph:
“Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better”. (Author unknown)
Somehow many Indians have assumed the view that change has to take a long time and be very painful. Change indeed is very painful if we do not anticipate change.
The two good books on change which I adore are – “Who Moved My Cheese” and the recent one by Kenneth Blanchard “Who Killed Change?”
In this issue of “The Enablers” I have reviewed this book – it is a must read for all budding mangers who want to change.
The winds of change are blowing. If we do not change, we may become ‘dinosaurs’- extinct from the professional world.
Warm regards,
Vivek Hattangadi
Editor
14th January 2011
Book Review: Who killed change?
Author- Ken Blanchard et al. Publishers: Harper Collins 2009
It is a well known adage: ‘Change is the Only Constant’.
Daily, commercial organizations across the globe, whether FMCG companies, IT companies or even pharmaceutical companies launch change program, and at great costs, intended to improve the status quo. Yet, a great majority of these change efforts fail. A few perish suddenly, but many die slow and painful deaths. This exhausts the organization's resources, vigor and morale.
Who or What Is Killing Change?
Why does this happen? When change initiatives are launched, people put up a lot of resistance. There are people who would still like to be in comfort zone of tradition, conformity of the old systems and sometimes even superstition. People who try to bring about change initiatives have also been branded as ignorant and stupid fools by the traditionalists and conformists! They would still try to achieve success through obsolete ideas which have no relevance to today’s scenario. On would believe that only the senior and experienced people are the ones who resist change; this is a wrong impression. At times Gen-Next are the ones who are very comfortable with orthodox beliefs and resist change.
They are the ones who try to kill change.
Ken Blanchard of ‘One Minute Manager’ fame has recently released his new book: ‘Who Killed Change”, published by Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, 2009. This book is also cataloged in the British Council Library.
The book is written in a delightful way – again a change initiative by Ken Blanchard! One may even call it a parable business book.
The central character is a cigar-smoking, detective Agent Mike McNally who is investigating a serial murder of people having the same second name – Change. These murders take place at the ACME Company. Like a true detective story the business story opens on a dark and stormy night
Agent Mike McNally, interviews 13 prime suspects, with the aid of his associate Anna. The suspects include Carolina Culture, Chase Commitment, Spencer Sponsorship, Perry Plan, Bailey Budget, Victoria Vision, Ernest Urgency, and Clair Communication among others.
Through this series of interviews, McNally discovers a core truth: Many different people at all levels of the organization are often responsible for killing change efforts. Agent McNally discovers that Change was poisoned — but you'll have to read the book to uncover the details.
The parable concludes with the following truth: "Change can be successful only when the usual characters in an organization combine their unique talents and consistently involve others in initiating, implementing and sustaining change."
Nothing disturbs people as much as change. Nothing has greater potential to cause catastrophe than change. Yet nothing is as important to our survival as change. Indian pharma industry has a history full of examples of companies that failed to change and that are now extinct.
Here are a few benefits of change:
- Greater organizational efficiency
- Improved quality of work
- Self confidence amongst employees
- Enhanced collaboration and communication
- Lower attrition rates
- Better growth prospects for all
- Change alone can take us to the next level
Points to ponder over for Fist-line Managers |
- Have I changed?
- What changes would you like to bring about un yourself?
- What changes would you like to bring about in the workplace?
Pearls of wisdom |
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” – Maria Robinson – Author |
“He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.” –Harold Wilson - Former Prime Minister of U.K. |
“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory”. - W. Edwards Deming – Philosopher |
“If you're in a bad situation, don't worry it'll change. If you're in a good situation, don't worry it'll change”. – Anon |
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