Are You Fit for Change?

Reading an article from Natalia K Bilash, an experienced C Level Recruiter, prompted me to consider the similarity between commencing a personal fitness program and commencing organisational change... So Thanks Natalia! Find the Blog here: http://nataliakbilash.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/out-of-shape/


Since childhood, fitness and exercise were an everyday part of my life, they were easy for me. I jogged approx 30km's per week, regularly entered long distance "Fun Run's" with my father. I also trained 2 to 3 times as an Gymnast and by the time I got to Level 6 (Level10 is Olympic standard) I was offered a place at the Victorian (Australia) Institute of Sport... so needless to say... I was fairly fit. This remained into my early 20's. The architectural office I was working in sponsored it's employees to go to the gym and everyone was fitness tested.  Out of 30 odd people attending including 3 Triathletes... I was rated as the fittest. (needless to say I gave the Triathletes a hard time!)


Back then I had Abs of iron... these days... my abs need ironing... I still believe in exercise, I still WANT to do it and my mind set is still around the fact that exercise is great, that I enjoy it when I do it, but two things hold me back.

1. Exercise now feels like a lot of hard work especially with a variety of aches and pains throughout my body
2. Getting the motivation to actually start is harder than ever... there's things like watching TV to be done!

For an organisation going through Change Management, things are very similar!

1. Change involves a LOT of hard work both individually and organisational. The business will go through aches and pains... guaranteed! But if that Organisational Vision for the fitness plan is kept at the forefront and communicated well, the pain will be recognised as that "good pain" and people will be inspired to work through it. They will share the knowledge that if the plan is stuck to, the end result will be a lean, mean business machine... it won't happen overnight... but it will happen!
2. Motivation is the key... to keep working on the necessary tasks to bring about change while there are plenty of other things to be done... like the normal day to day tasks of individuals jobs. It requires strong leadership, both from the top, but even more importantly from the people on the ground involved in the change and directly affected by it's results. Give key staff mini "promotions" by assigning them to the Change Management board, include it in their job description and KPI's so that they are rewarded for the efforts. Strongly encourage innovation throughout the business and when individuals come up with an idea or take a risk to support the change... reward them, even if it doesn't go perfectly. 

Just like with trying to get back to fitness after a long break, any effort to exercise and to increase health is a good one... during Change Management, any effort to bring about change, whether it's the small wins or the small changes in process and attitude.... they all count!