Change. You can run from it. You can dodge it, fight it, deny it, or sprint headfirst into it. Whatever the case — love it or hate it — it’s coming. It is, as they say, inevitable.
But, you know that. You’ve been through it a thousand times. And the assumption, at least in business, is that change is inherently “good.” It’s that shift in strategic direction that finally gets you where you need to be. It’s new leadership that comes in and blows the dust off things. It’s the introduction of a new technology that’s sure to absolutely, positively make life easier.
However, what people don’t always realize is that change is hard even when it’s for the better. And not for the obvious reasons. The actual implementation of it — the software rollout or the project management of it all— isn’t usually where teams get tripped up. It’s the people side of change where the struggle tends to happen. And the reason? Organizations too often neglect what’s called change management.