Change management is about inspiring people

What do we do differently?

We get to the point - straightforward - with the people concerned

  • Decision makers learn how to share ideas, inspire change
  • Managers recognize the competences they need to foster
  • All players are mobilized and stimulated in one direction
  • Analysis is designed to change
  • A positive change culture is replacing a deficit-based change
  • People overcome the road blocks of change

Underlying thoughts

For years, project and change management have been central themes in management literature. There are a number of theories and models that address how change can be dealt with effectively and efficiently.
If we look at practice, many projects are often technocratically planned and carried out. Leadership and communication are barely considered in the planning process. Uncertainty and micropolitics tend to be left out. If a project is unsuccessful as a result, outdated structures or the employees’ fears and mental obstacles tend to be made responsible.

Of course, we have moved away from the idea that an organization is like a machine, towards a conception of organization as a living, social, even biological system. But then we have to accept that living systems are only partly deterministic, only partly predictable.

In order to galvanize an organization [to change], Peter Senge (“The Fifth Discipline‿) recommends to translate individual ideas into shared vision. Nils Brunsson (“The Irrational Organization‿) sees the need of organizational ideologies that facilitate change. Others call for cultural change. The success of famous strategy programs like Balanced Scorecard®, Six Sigma®, are based on the ability of the leadership to share vision and inspire employees to act and behave differently.

Studies have shown that people act according their subjective ideas, individual interests and collective rules, they re-act on incentives and control. And they do not act, if there is no personal challenge. Hence communication contents and processes should be designed accordingly.