The change management industry has traditionally missed a big elephant in the room: in times of change, what is actually not for change? This will change, this will not. The second 50% is always a miss.
No wonder people are afraid of the total-upside-down-change in which they will be caught. It takes nothing, zero cost, to state what is not for change. Not just in terms of structures and reporting (not a minor issue for the potential affected and non-affected) but also in terms of values and principles.
The case for change is much stronger when we state what is not for change, what remains untouched and why. In that context, what is for change makes more sense.
I ask my Viral Change™ clients to be very specific on this. Sometimes to the point of starting within ‘the no-change ‘well upfront in an initial communication plan.
Strategies may change, structures may change, processes may change, tactics may change, but, for example, a set of values should be constant. And these must be reiterated.
Of course, before doing so, we’d better check that what we put on the plate to change, and, above all, the how, is not going to contradict the value system or the foundations. If so, time out!.
If this is for ‘change management’ in general, a similar pattern can be applied to commercial strategies. More on this tomorrow.
PS. I am doing a short webinar on ‘Corporate culture as a social movement’ on the 22nd of June at 3 pm BST. You can register here. [1]