Coming to Grips With Change

“Progress always involves risk, but you can’t steal second base and keep a foot on first.”

“Change with the world – or it will change without you.”

There is always risk with change, and in general, the greater the change, the greater the risk. But you know what? There’s also risk in not changing . . . arguably even greater risk.

Changes in the business world are coming at us faster than ever before, and the rate of change will continue to accelerate. So we need to prepare our organizations to not only accept change, but to embrace it. Yes, change brings risk, but it also brings new opportunities. If you’re unwilling to take the risk, you will be shut out of the opportunity.

People aren’t afraid of change. They’re afraid of the unknown. So the best way to introduce change is through good communication. Tell your people what change is coming, why the change is necessary, and what you need from them to affect the change smoothly. If you communicate the change clearly and completely and you answer all questions about it honestly, the fear is largely gone because the change is no longer unknown.

If your culture is risk averse and resistant to change . . . you’d better change it.

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