ALL CHANGE – OFF YOU GO

 

There can be no doubt that we now live in a fast changing environment, but for most of us in paid employment the very term ‘change management’ can instil a sense of fear and dread, and quite rightly so.

Companies may choose to use whatever modern jargon they like but ‘change management’ has, for many companies, become a euphemism for redundancy, along with the words ‘efficiency savings’.

In the modern business world I can think of no instance in which enforced change, in terms of the way an organisation goes about its business, or in its efforts to become more efficient, can be effective without total employee involvement. By this I mean not just tick box consultation. Of course many of us are naturally resistant to any change, but in many cases this is born out of bitter personal experience, where is has all ended in tears for some, and apart from a temporary feeling of relief, a strong resentment in those that are left, wondering when and whether or not it will be their turn next.

Several years ago, in my role as a business advisor, I was asked by a company to lead a session for all of their employees on ‘change management’.

I began my presentation by outlining its key aims – ‘to enable employees to

consider ways in which we can work together to ensure a successful future in a challenging market’. So far so good. I then followed this up with one of many definitions of change management: the co-ordination of a structured period of transition from one situation to another, in order to achieve lasting change within an organisation.

I cannot believe just how naïve I was at the time.

Wanting to make a positive impression, and taking into account the diversity of the workforce, I used the humble potato to demonstrate how such an everyday foodstuff had maintained its market share, by continual development of its image, in a fast changing environment. This has been achieved by increasing its usefulness as food product, and by being adaptable in the wake of increasing competition from new products. Discovered by Sir Walter Raleigh during Queen Elizabeth 1’s reign, the potato has gone from being a dirt ridden tuber, that had to be dug from the ground before being peeled and cooked, right through to the ready washed varieties all bagged up and ready to go, to its transformation into many forms such as crisps, instant mash, croquettes, oven chips ….. that we are familiar with today. The list is endless.

To further illustrate my point I gave everyone that attended the session a freshly dug potato. Nice touch, I thought.

Not long afterwards the next wave of redundancies was announced, and everyone thought I was in on it.

I pride myself on my honest and open approach and felt a complete fool, diminished somehow in the minds of those I worked with. You can be sure I won’t be going down that route again in a hurry. In the case of one person, every time they see me they mention the potato.