The single greatest truth about organizational change
May 8, 2009
Last week, I posted the following question on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter:
What is the single greatest truth about organizational change?
My own response that I developed when I originally thought of the question, was:
Organizational change starts with one person who sees something that should be different, and takes action.
I received 46 responses from all three sources. Most of them can be accessed on LinkedIn here. The largest group of responses expressed that people don’t like change, or that people hate it. Several people said that change is constant. There were also a few cynics. I appreciate all the responses and value each of them as the summation of each person’s own experience with organizational change.
Here are some of my favorites that especially rang true for me:
Richard Rowan: “The key is to start the change from where you are, with what you have. Not what you wish you had.”
Michelle Hurteau: “Organizational change happens one person at a time.”
Mark Herbert: “Culture eats strategy!”
Robert Gold: “That it happens in spite of leadership, not because of it.”
Justin Carter: “Calculating its NPV is a bitch.”
When I received the last one, I laughed out loud. Having been in the position to try to justify projects with “intangible” benefits, I totally agree!
What do you think is the single greatest truth about organizational change?
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