Managing change is important. That’s obvious. Any company that has been through a major (or even minor) change initiative knows the perils of not managing the change process.

But managing change isn’t really about change. It’s about people. More specifically it’s about managing the uncertainty and threats that people face during times of change. Most leaders miss this important point. They do take people into account when making their decisions.  However, their goal is often to get the people to support the change rather than getting the change to support the people.  There’s a big difference.

There are two major myths regarding change management. The first is that people don’t like change. That’s not true. By nature humans want to grow, explore, and learn. They seek novelty. How many people do you know that are counting down the days until their next cellphone upgrade? What people don’t like is ambiguity, having their time wasted, or entering into a threatening situation. Unfortunately, most change efforts create all three of those things.

The second myth is that change management is different from any other type of people management. Again, that’s not the case. To perform at their best, people need ability, information, and motivation. This is just as true in times of change as it is in day-to-day operations. Leaders who are able to provide these three things will have a successful workforce, regardless of the context.

Contact us today to get help in understanding where you people are lost, what information is missing or confusing, and what real or perceived threats they are facing. Then we’ll help you develop a plan to overcome those issues.