Change Management - What is it really?

If you look at the Wikepedia definition of Change Management you will see the following:

"Change management is a structured approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations from a current state to a desired future state. It is an organizational process aimed at empowering employees to accept and embrace changes in their current business environment. In project management, change management refers to a project management process where changes to a project are formally introduced and approved."

My problem with this definition is that it implies that change is something that we do to people and that the skill lies in obtaining their acceptance and approval of the change that we are implementing. While leaders continue to impose change on others the reality is that they will frequently meet with resistance. If those who are charged with implementing are not involved in developing the change they will never own it.

In my opinion Change Management is a structured approach to transitioning individuals, teams and organizations from a current state to a desired future state through the development of a culture of involvement. A culture where leaders ask more questions and give fewer opinions, where they do more listening than talking. A culture that recognizes the expertise within and encourages the workforce to own the problems and develop the solutions themselves.

It can be hard for any leader to keep a good solution to themselves when they see an opportunity to fix a problem. The real skill of Change Management lies in being able to hold that solution close to your chest and learning to ask the right questions of those who have to implement. When they can develop the same solution themselves or even develop a better solution then you have really empowered your employees and ensured that the change will be implemented without resistance.

As the old Chinese proverb says, "Tell me and I'll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I'll understand"