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Department of Human Resources - Project eMerge
Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine. ~ Robert C. Gallagher
As we pass from one year to the next, it is natural to pause and reflect on the past year and anticipate the year ahead. Each year will inevitably bring change, because change is part of life. William Bridges, a well-known Change Management consultant, writes, "It’s a paradox: To achieve continuity, we have to be willing to change."
While we cannot always know what the change will be, we can be assured that we have inside us a natural process for adapting to changes of all kinds. Whether we are faced with personal or professional changes, the transition process is similar. We will all pass through the same phases, but in our own time, at our own pace, and in our own way.
Bridges’ three-phase transition model starts with an ending (phase 1), followed by the neutral zone (phase 2) and a new beginning (phase 3). We have to let go of the old, and go through the disorientation and experimentation of the neutral or in-between phase, before we can embrace the new.
A large-scale technology implementation like Project eMerge can trigger large and small changes throughout an organization: changes in organizational structure, job responsibilities, and business processes, as well as in the tools and procedures employees use to get their jobs done. Individuals within the organization may experience these changes as an ending.
It takes time for the people affected by a new system and new processes to let go of familiar ways of doing things and adopt new ways. The picture below illustrates how individuals accept and adopt changes in the way they do their jobs over time, as they gain understanding through knowledge and experience.
In the beginning, individuals develop an awareness of the project. They become familiar with the project vision, purpose and objectives and learn how the project will benefit the organization.
As time goes on, individuals become more personally involved. They begin to understand how the project will impact them as an individual. They may have questions and concerns. They may not like the changes they will need to make.
When their questions are answered, and the reasons for their concerns or opposition are appropriately addressed, through communication, tryouts, training or other means, individuals find it easier to accept the new solution, especially when it represents an improvement in their ability to contribute and get their job done.
As the new system rolls out, and individuals get used to a new way of doing things, what was once a big change, gradually becomes standard operating procedure. Think of all the technologies we can scarcely live without today: the automobile, TV, cell phone and so forth. Each of these represented radical change at one time.
Yes, we can change. Yes, we can. ~ Barack Obama
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