Shift - Part 1 (Forced or Unforced?)
You’ve probably seen the video. If not the original then the countless copycats or official updates that have been produced since its first release.
Shift Happens.
I first began showing it to delegate groups around 2010 as a thought provoking way for them to consider the pace of global change, and therefore, the need for them to to embrace their own change process. At the heart of this innovative and popular presentation/video is the notion that the world is not how you perceive it and factors out of our hands are moving quicker than we might think. ‘Did you know?’ being the rhetorical question posed throughout the video to help you reach the conclusion - you should know, so what are you going to do about it?
In twenty years of working with clients and individuals to help them manage the change process I have always presented two starkly polarised approaches to change. Forced and Unforced. In the latter, change is a choice. Something you decide to engage with because you see the value in what it might bring you. The speed of unforced change is often slower but usually a lot more comfortable for the individual and organisation. A forced change, in comparison, is one we cannot escape from. It provides us with a simple proposition - diversify or diminish.
In the last two years SHIFT did happen. There was no escaping it. The world was forced into collective change - how we socialise, how we conduct business, how we sell, how we communicate and how we behave. It forced us to reimagine the world of now and of the future. It was painful, it was permanent and boy was it fast.
Which poses an interesting question.
If forced change is so effective, is it the right approach for your businesses or your teams as you pursue the next strategic objective? My answer would still be no….at least not initially. The damage of forced change on some peoples’ well-being, self-confidence and physical health is too heavy a price to bare when compared to unforced change. Unforced change takes more effort but with much lower risks. It generally results in less turnover of staff, higher morale, shared goals and a collaborative atmosphere. It requires support, coaching, clear incentives, training, buy-in and, mostly importantly, time. It will usually result in less distress and higher levels of loyalty. But our experience of forced change in the last few years has taught us a valuable lesson. As we approach changing the way we implement new directions for our company and people perhaps we shouldn’t underestimate how resilient and responsive some of our people are to radical ideas and totally new concepts. Living through a global pandemic has proven that most of us are capable of more change than we might imagine.
Which was exactly the reason I used to show people the video…
We’re all learning to adapt to a post pandemic world. If you’d like to discuss your own objectives and how change can be identified, managed and encouraged in your business get in touch to book an exploratory discussion. tonymoyle@in-sell.co.uk
See the original SHIFT HAPPENS video (to see how much of it came true) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdTOFkhaplo