Welcome to the first issue the Center for Stable Change Newsletter "where the shock of change finds the rock of hope."

The goal of this Newsletter, as well as the Center for Stable Change, is to help others "sail the seas of change" successfully, storms and all.

Resistance to Change is important because:

• 70% of all organizational change efforts fail.
• Why? Resistance to change. So say Fortune 500 execs.
• Most "accepted solutions" to "overcome resistance" increase, rather than decrease, the level of resistance to change.
• The conventional approach to resistance to change only treats it as a logical problem to be solved. It ignores the irrational, emotion-based aspect of resistance that must be dissolved.

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• TQM-driven change 67-73% fail
• Re-engineering 71-90% fail
• Software Development 67-84% fail
• Technological Change 60-80% fail
• New Computer System 76-83% fail
• Strategy Development 42-90% fail
• Restructuring 50-90% fail
• Mergers & Acquisitions 58-77% fail

Today's Tip for Change Leaders:
Today's tip relates to how to think about resistance to change.

The first 20 years of my professional career was as a professor of Organizational Behavior and Change at the University of Florida's Business School. But, after about 8 years in this job, I was ready to do something else. Becoming a full-time consultant was my dream. However, for the next 12 years I was unable to "play my part" to make the career shift successful. I knew what I was supposed to do: make the plans, make the phone calls, apply for consulting positions, write my resignation letter, etc. In spite of that, I was unable to make the change. My fear of an uncertain future and my distress over giving up tenure and other desirable aspects of my job incapacitated me. That is, I was paralyzed by resistance to change. It wasn't until my new wife, a career professional actress who is not intimidated by a lack of job security, encouraged me to write my resignation letter and begin taking the next steps, that I could finally make my career transition.

What I find significant from my experience is that:

1. I knew exactly what needed to be done to make the change. That is, I knew what "playing my part" entailed.
2. I had the skills necessary to do it.
3. And, I understood at an intellectual level that making the change would benefit me.
4. However, I was still unable to "play my part" for another 12 years.

Resistance to change operates inside our head. This is so whether dealing with a personal change or an organizational change. The success of any change project ultimately depends upon whether the INDIVIDUALS affected make their own unique contributions to the overall effort. Resistance to change can sabotage our efforts to perform effectively in today's ever-changing world.

Editor's Note: Each issue will feature one of the 101 (actually closer to 109) "Tips for Change Leaders" sprinkled liberally throughout my book, "Me? Change? Not Now. Not Ever! How to Dissolve Hard-Core Resistance to Change in the Workplace." See www.stablechange.com/book_and_catalog for a synopsis and a samples of the book.)
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Executive Summary
Who Moved My Cheese tells a fanciful tale of two mice and two "little humans" who live in a maze and one day are faced with change: someone moves their cheese. The non-analytical and nonjudgmental mice just want cheese and are willing to do whatever it takes to get it. The more complex little humans have trouble letting go of how things used to be and are afraid to go out into the unknown maze and try to find more cheese.

The story is about adjusting attitudes toward change so that we can be more alert for change and be prepared to seek out the good the new way has to offer.

Contributions of the Book

1. Attitude toward change is important.
   It makes the important point that we must take responsibility for our attitude toward change.
2. Fear causes resistance.
   It recognizes fear of an unknown future as a cause of resistance to change.
3. Resistance to change is a personal phenomenon.
   It treats resistance to change as a process that resides within each individual.

Some Inherent Problems

1. Prescription is too simplistic.
   The book (incorrectly) implies that changing one's attitude toward change is a sufficient condition by itself to guarantee the success of a change program. If we change our attitude, then overcoming fear and letting go of the past will follow easily. This is not true. (See Comparative Matrix for Book Reviews.)
2. It gives an incomplete picture of resistance to change.
   It addresses only 3 of 22 issues necessary to dissolve resistance to change, attitude, fear, and letting go. (See Comparative Matrix for Book Reviews.)
3. No concrete suggestions.
   No concrete suggestions are given for how to change attitude, deal with fear, or let go. The only prescription for changing attitude and dealing with fear and letting go seems to be to "just do it."
4. Illusion of a "quick fix" is dangerous.
   The book leads readers to conclude successful change is only an attitude change away. That is, a "quick fix." Change leaders will be tempted to incorrectly conclude that employees who still resist after being told to "change their attitude" are being insubordinate, and should be treated as such. They most always aren't.

Recommendation
Don't be seduced by its simplistic story. Change is more involved than Who Moved My Cheese might have you believe. If you don't have a copy and want to see what all the buzz is about, buy a used one. Better yet, check it out of the library.

Click here for the full review.

Editor's Note: Periodically reviews of books that deal with change will appear in the Newsletter. Special attention will be given to how the book deals with Resistance to Change. Also, a summary of the review will appear in the Newsletter, with a more detailed review accessed via a link in the Newsletter.
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Click here for an explanation of why our company is named "Stable Change."

Click here for an explanation of our strengths, uniqueness, and guiding beliefs.

Click here for the bio of the Newsletter's editor.

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Send us your stories
With your permission, I will include your stories in subsequent issues of the newsletter that demonstrate both problems and successes you have encountered in your work/life experience with change. Of special interest is how resistance to change was observed and handled, both successfully and unsuccessfully. Be assured, names will be changed to "protect the innocent."

Send your story to: JY@StableChange.com.

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