change management process change management plan
While watching a "sell this home" type TV show, I couldn't help but notice the similarities between renovating a home to sell it and the process of developing effective marketing and sales skills in our corporate teams.
In the television episode I found myself watching, a woman was selling her home to downsize. Her children had all left for college and she no longer had a need for the larger house she was now living in. The feedback from the open house attendees who toured the home heard comments like, "It is dated", "It is too dark", "I don't understand what this room is for", "Too busy and cluttered", and the list went on and on. You get the drift. To address some of these issues, the home stager suggested that a coat of paint to some low cost fake wood furniture would actually improve the aesthetics, modernize the room, and make the room look and feel fresh. The home owner resisted this suggested strongly. It was her belief that wood should not be painted, even f ake wood! She was so attached to what she knew and how it has always been that she could not see what it could be like.
This occurs in teams too! Team members become so attached to the way it has always been (even if it no longer serves them) they emphatically resist how it could be. Actually, they resist so strongly that they can't even bring themselves to consider or see how it could be. They avoid the vision all together. You hear comments like, "Why change, we've always done it this way", or "It works just fine". Sometimes the current way really is THE WAY. However, in many cases, there is opportunity to change things up a bit instead of doing what has always been done. Often it is difficult for teams and leaders to acknowledge when a system process, service, or approach is no longer serving them well.
Just as attendees at an open house must clearly understand the purpose of a room (e.g. is it a kitchen, a den, etc.), we must clearly understand the purpose of our business and the vision for the future. When team members understand these things about the companies they work with they will be able to passionately and clearly share that with others, including our next customers. They will also be less resistant when changes to systems or processes are presented. When teams understand the purpose of the company, it is then that they can begin to explore how things COULD be.
Do you often find yourself in situations where you would love to move forward but just can't for some reason? Maybe it is because there is a part of your past that you need to forgive. Be sure to set aside some time each day to reflect on your past, even the things that happened that day. If it has already happened, it is in the past. You can't change it but, you can forgive it. Forgiveness is a choice. Ask yourself who it hurts more, hinders more, or presents obstacles for. You or the person or situation you haven't forgiven. Sometimes the person we need t o forgive is ourselves. This is so important. Nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes. Forgive yourself, don't let your past rob you of your future. Forgive and Bounce Forward!