Change is a mysterious constant in our lives and it's happening all over, right now. Change is both situational and continual: the new year, the new relationship, the new job, the new friends.
Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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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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My perspective is simple: change happens in the mind and is shared and understood using rituals and stories. Ultimately change management boils down to crafting, sharing and re-sharing particular stories that motivate people to believe in, buy, participate, invest in and work towards a particular vision of the world.
Change is Constant
"No man can cross the same river twice - Everything flows, nothing stands still" said Greek Philosopher Heraclitus (535-475 BC)
Change is a mysterious constant in our lives and it's happening all over, right now. Change is both situational and continual: the new year, the new relationship, the new job, the new friends.
Change has many definitions that describe becoming different in essence and/or losing original nature. Change can be an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another. It can also suggest cause to change; make different or to cause a transformation; "The coffee and sugar trade altered power balances in the world". It can also mean make or become different in some particular way, without permanently losing former characteristics or essence; "her mood changes like the weather". It could also mean switch: lay aside, abandon, or leave for another; "switch to a different brand of cola, smartphone, cigarette or dishwashing liquid". Change is also the result of alteration or modification and can also refer to the process of adjustment that people engage in coming to terms with a new situation.
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.”
Change can be thrust upon us or it can be something we choose. Our adjustment to the change, however, is internal and forms our emotional response in whether we choose to accept, adapt to, or resist the change. The psychological transition starts with an ending (the loss of an attachment to a job, a loved one etc.) and the realisation that things are not going to be the same. The loss of attachments can be particularly traumatic because they impact all areas of life including identity, standard of living, relationship with family and the sense of self-worth and stability. In order for us to move forward and have some level of control over the outcome, we need to let go of the past, embrace the future and start exploring all our options and opportunities.
"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)
Cultural attitudes to change vary and are expressed by religious and spiritual traditions in two main categories. The first says that Change happens randomly because the workings of the universe are essentially random and chaotic (thus suggesting that there is no underlying meaning or purpose to life). The second view, emphasised in belief systems such as Hinduism and Buddhism, says change is cyclical and circumstances such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, famine, disease and hurricanes are expected to recur.
Photo: Steve Banhegyi
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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