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For most of us, change is not a sometime thing. It’s an all-the-time thing. And as one Army general said: if you don’t like change, you’ll like irrelevance even less.
Sure, change is sometimes uncomfortable. But nothing is as uncomfortable as staying stuck where you don’t belong.
Most every workplace change involves an adjustment in systems. In this context, let’s define “system” as any policy, procedure, process, or organizational practice—both formal and informal. Structure or the “organization chart” is also a form of a system because it involves the deployment of people.
To help you avoid unintended consequences, it’s imperative that you honestly examine the various systems in your environment and consider their impact on the change or implementation you’re advocating.
Ask yourself these questions—
Yes or No: does the system (or the change you’re promoting)
1. Reinforce the feeling of trust in our organization?
2. Encourage frank and open communication?
3. Foster a genuine spirit of camaraderie, teamwork, and synergy?
4. Allow each person involved to “win” without doing so at the expense of someone else?
5. Instill loyalty and pride in the organization?
6. Reflect the organization’s professed values?
7. Contribute to the organization’s mission?
8. Bring out the best in our people?
9. If we were starting all over today, would we introduce this system into our environment?
You can no doubt think of additional questions. Just be sure that each question touches on one or more of the values that you and your colleagues profess to embrace.
If you respond “no” to any question simply because it doesn’t seem pertinent to the issues(s) addressed in the system, don’t be concerned. But if you respond “no” for any other reasons, you should re-examine the system and consider changing, eliminating, or replacing it.
All systems should be subjected to this test at least once a year.
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