A635.3.3.RB - 50 Reasons Not to Change/The Tribes We Lead

It can't be done.  It's not my job.  We don't have the time.  We tried it before.  We don't have the money, personnel, equipment.  

Above are some of the excuses listed in the 50 reason not to Change graphic. It is frustrating to hear  peers using these excuses and unfortunately it happens way to often. After years of learning about the change process through my Air Force career, I can understand why some are reluctant to change. Therefore, I try not to take the negative response personally although that can be tough. For example, when I was the support section chief, I suggested an "express lane" to distribute tools. Almost immediately there were excuses of "We've tried it before" and "It won't work because...". I had to remind myself to keep calm and that it is normal to have resistance which stems from a fear of the unknown (Brown, 2011). After several weeks of explaining the need for change, I introduced the idea and benefits of hosting a Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) event. I assembled a team to participate in the CPI event, with members that supported the change and those opposed. We went through the process and decided on 12 action items to implement the new process and we got to work making changes to our process. Along the way, I had the opportunity to watch my support section members recognize the need for change and eventually a way forward. One-by-one most of my team jumped on the "change bandwagon" and became excited to be part of the change. However, we also experienced a very large reluctance from our customers to the changes we were making. "Proposed changes that disturb habitual routines or patterns are likely to encounter resistance because human behavior is governed largely by habit and routine" (Brown, p. 152). Fast forward a year - we have implemented all 12 action items decided during the CPI and the tool checkout process flows much more efficiently. While I absolutely consider this a success, I am most proud to have introduced the change process to my support team. They were able to see the process first-hand and understand the benefits. More importantly, they now understand that 1) change takes time and 2) they can make an impact.

I use the above experience as a reminder when I hear colleagues using the excuses listed in the 50 reasons not to change. On occasion, I find myself using these excuses and have to take a step back and reassess the situation. This experience and my Air Force training in leadership, change, and management has taught me that change is possible, especially if you have team effort.

Seth Godin's concept that change is driven by tribes is spot on. In fact, I would not have been able to make all the changes in the support section without my tribe/team. "You just need a few people who will look at the rules, realize they make no sense, and realize how much they want to be connected" (Godin, 12:03) My Support section tribe found something worth changing, and assemble (Godin, 2009). That is exactly what we did, and it has built a culture of change in our organization.

There's a saying that the only constant is change. I have found this to be true, especially when working in the Support Section. We were constantly, fixing, changing, improving and chaos is inevitable. I've learned that change is good and that you must be flexible and tolerant of it in order to succeed.

Brown, D. R. (2011). An Experimental Approach to Organizational Development (8 ed.). Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, Inc.

Godin, S. (2009). The tribes we lead. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/seth_godin_on_the_tribes_we_lead#t-1056930
Watkins, D. (2011, August 24). 50 Reasons Not to Change. Retrieved from https://prezi.com/z2v2cvo4t9tc/50-reasons-not-to-change/