Changes and People

Articles » Featured Articles


People, Changes and Consistency


Changes

Changes are taking place at an ever-accelerating pace.  These changes are not always reflected in the workplace.  Typically, what happens is that an organisation realises that it lags behind best management and leadership practices and then endures a period of even faster change to try and catch up.  This period of intense change is followed by a lull while everyone consolidates the change.  This process may be repeated a number of times until the organisation realises that change is inevitable and constant.  Ideally, when this is realised, the organisation adapts itself to a process of continual change and then progresses to a proactive state by initiating and leading change.

 

"In times of change, learners succeed, while the knowledgeable find themselves beautifully equipped deal with a world that no longer exists."


People

Introducing change in the workplace is difficult because some of the people actively resist any attempt to introduce different methods.  We are faced with at least three powerful reasons why we sometimes resist change.

One.  Our previous experience has taught us that change is managed poorly and causes us discomfort and frustration.

Two.  If we go along with changes, we are admitting we were doing it wrongly in the past.

Three.  We have an almost obsessive desire to be consistent.  Once we have made a commitment to a certain behaviour, we are faced with personal and interpersonal pressures to be consistent.  These pressures lead us to respond in ways to justify our earlier actions.  This can be compounded if the changes are forced on us.  We respond by being even more reluctant to embrace change. 


Consistency

We have a powerful need to be seen as being consistent.  This need is best understood by considering the perception of inconsistency.  A person who is described as being inconsistent is regarded as indecisive, confused, untrustworthy, unreliable or even insane.  However, consistency stands for having integrity, being honest, being trustworthy, reliable, and stable.  In our society, consistency is a highly regarded personal attribute, something we defend vigorously.  The defence of our perception of our own consistency can cause us to behave in ways which may be against our best interests.  For example, strongly resisting much needed changes.


If we make written and verbal commitments to behave in a certain way, then we have created the strongest reason to continue to behave in that way.  This gives us the reward of gratifying our need to be consistent.  This positive reinforcement deepens our commitment to certain behaviours and fortifies our resistance to prescribed changes.

 

Peter Mitchell has been an advisor to businesses of all sizes and types for the last 35 years.  He has used all his experience to write a complimentary step-by-step guide for business owners and mangers.  If you download this FREE guide, you are eligible to buy his latest book “The Key to Productivity”at a special low price for a limited time.

It is available NOW at http://www.thekeytoproductivity.com

 

 

 

.