What is Change? by Steve Banhegyi
We're all fascinated by change – we're mammals, after all, and change in the environment may present us with an opportunity to feed, flee, fight and even, possibly mate – so the ability to see and even predict change is hardcoded into our biology and is vital for our very survival. We notice big, sudden and dramatic change which has much to do with why we pay attention to the 'news' and stories of change. In contrast, we tend not to notice those things that change gradually like how grass and trees grow until we suddenly apprehend that change has occurred.
If you're involved in change management, it's vital that you have a clear understanding of what change is and the techniques with which change can be led in a particular direction to produce desired outcomes.
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Image Above: The Great Wave off Kanagawa (神奈川沖浪裏 Kanagawa Oki Nami Ura?, lit. "In the well of a wave off Kanagawa"), also known as The Great Wave or simply The Wave, is a woodblock print by the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai. It was published sometime between 1830 and 1833[1] in the late Edo period as the first print in Hokusai's series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (富嶽三十六景 Fugaku sanjūrokkei?). It is Hokusai's most famous work, and one of the best recognized works of Japanese art in the world. It depicts an enormous wave threatening boats off the coast of the prefecture of Kanagawa. While sometimes assumed to be a tsunami, the wave is, as the picture's title suggests, more likely to be a large rogue wave or okinami ("wave of the open sea").[2] As in all the prints in the series, it depicts the area around Mount Fuji under particular conditions, and the mountain itself appears in the background." - Wikipedia.
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Change is Constant
"No man can cross the same river twice - Everything flows, nothing stands still" said Greek Philosopher Heraclitus (535-475 BC)
In the 6th century BC in China, Lao Tzu wrote, “If you realise that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve.”
"All things change, nothing is extinguished. There is nothing in the whole world which is permanent. Everything flows onward; all things are brought into being with a changing nature; the ages themselves glide by in constant movement." ~ Ovid (BC43-18 AD)
Steve Banhegyi, is a facilitator, consultant, speaker, and media developer based in the Johannesburg Area, South Africa region and works in the Management Consulting industry.
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This is the first article in a series by Steve Banhegyi on change management with a practical how-to emphasis starting with:
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