Yesterday, I spent the day in Troy, NY helping a group of managers grapple with some major organizational changes. As I took them through the standard course materials, I realized they weren't "getting it." Deviating from the script, I turned off the PowerPoint (which I can't stand by the way!) and we had a heart to heart. It went something like this:
All of us are frustrated right now with the progress in
the Gulf, capping the errant oil well. Oil is still
escaping and is now
impacting beaches from Louisiana to Florida. There is public pressure on
BP and now citizens are misguidedly boycotting BP gas stations (those are
independent franchises people - those hard-working Americans didn't cause the
spill so QUIT harassing them!) while others call for the government to step in.
With all of those challenges, it would be easy for everyone involved to just
throw up their hands and walk away. The problem is, the oil just keeps
coming out. All of those predictions that the world will run out of oil
aren't really that dire. This could go on for years. Somebody has
got to step up and keep at it!
The managers in Troy would never give up, but some of their superstar staff members are. They can't afford to quit and I know they won't. They just need a chance to vent in a safe place and get back in the game. Change, even a good change, is frightening. Good managers, using my now famous analogy, need to keep the "pack" together, and keep them moving forward.
How are you doing with change? Are you paralyzed by it or do you need some time to process, vent, and then get back in the game? I'm seriously considering re-working my business model to cut way back on my 90% travel schedule. The prospects are scary for me too, but the benefits will far outweigh in the long run. I'm not going to let it stop me. What will you be doing this week to deal with change?
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