The traditional model of change is the one I call ‘destination’ type, that is, how to go from A to Z, fixing something, achieving something, installing something.
An entire lucrative industry of ‘Steps’ has been created around it. Successful or not (and most people agree to an average of 30% success), that was it. Done. Here is the bill. Learning? What do you mean? Yes, learning, I mean. Well, we have just finished and done, arrived to Z.
Another problem, another challenge, M&A, cultural transformation, customer-centrism, safety culture, digitalization, agility? Well, we’ll start again.
But you’ve done the ‘How to go from A to Z’ before. Surely there is a learning?
Learning? What do you mean?
There is low learning in one-off (‘steps’) change management methods, so they carry a fair amount of opportunity lost, and, dare I say, waste.
It’s 2019! Can’t afford this! We need ‘a method’ in which we arrive to Z with enough ‘capability built in’ to tackle the next one, and the next one, and the next one. It’s Z today, N tomorrow, X next month. So be it. The system is here ready to tackle it. A change management method that does not build change-ability/change-capability, is a waste. Of course many of them would claim that they do but look carefully and see what you find beyond the expensive slide pack. You may be surprised how much empty space there is. I suppose, you can call those consultants again!
So, is there something that builds that long term capability, whilst, at the same time, reaching that destination or destinations? Yes. It’s called a Mobilizing Platform, which for us is Viral Change™. What matters in Viral Change™ is to create the behavioural DNA conditions , the ‘structures’, the ‘governance’, the rules of the game in which the company does not need another ‘method’. The way of dealing with any of these examples of challenges or transformation as above, is now embedded. Change-ability is inside. It’s a way of life.
The change method is dead. The ‘implanted’ Mobilizing Platform takes care of any method, so much that the word method disappears from the vocabulary.
Although everything could be considered ‘a method’, not many people would talk about ‘your leadership method’ or ‘your management method’ or ‘your cultural method’.
Change should get the same treatment.
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