A blog article I read recently prompted this post.  I encourage you to go read “Are the Lights Working at Your Change Intersection?”  It’s good stuff and we need more insight like this.  But I wanted to take a slightly different angle and keep a similar image.  So, I’m asking you …

What type of traffic signal does your change intersection need?

Change happens.  People either resist it or move forward with it.  I think I made that abundantly clear with my last post.  But taking perhaps an ‘aerial view’ begs the question above in my book.  Is the signal at your intersection the right one for the type of change you are attempting?

FOUR WAY STOPS
Perhaps you are executing a simple change.  Nothing major here and you’ve done this type a thousand times.  You could do it in your sleep.  All the agents of change know the routine and are courteous and respectful to each other.  But perhaps the change is a little more intense and you don’t alter your approach.  Maybe, because you didn’t assess the risk completely, your run-of-the-mill 4-way stop has just turned into a classic ‘rural’ intersection.  The signs are there, but nobody really pays much attention because they are thinking about their own things.  I think we all know where that is headed … and it rarely ends up in a smooth change.

ADDING TRAFFIC LIGHTS
It may be time to shake up your change management processes and take a little more care and caution where the intersection is concerned.  Your organization may have grown up from the 4-way stop days.  You need more rigor and discipline across the board and it’s time to upgrade to a traffic light.  Maybe it’s a blinking (all reds or red and yellow) or maybe you need a fully functional, timed light.  Whatever it is, it will take more risk management and a higher level of change control.  Ignoring it won’t make it go away.  In fact, ignoring it will end up putting everyone (as the blog article referenced notes) right smack in the crash zone.  So recognize the need for changes and implement them.  I know it sounds funny (change to change management) but it is a reality we can ill afford to ignore.

ON YOUR WAY TO ROBUST AND COMPLEX PATTERNS
All changes follow the same basic process.  But not all changes are equal.  If you’ve mastered the basics, you can’t help but move on to the more complex.  For bigger changes (and I’ve implemented more than a few, like major ERP upgrades), you will need a far more complex roadbed for change.  Your old 4-way and flashing light methods won’t even begin to manage change at that level.  Now, maybe you are comfortable with the smaller change.  And maybe your organization won’t require the more complex methods.  But the challenge is to evaluate your change and then set the right ‘traffic lights’ and management patterns appropriately.

Remember, change does happen … how you manage it will reflect on your professional abilities long after the change is complete.  Choose your methods carefully, know your strengths and manage your risk accordingly.

Bio:

Mark Moore has held multiple professional positions in IT and business for nearly three decades serving organizations both small and large, public and private.  With over half that time as a project manager, he has successfully managed major initiatives spanning multiple years with a cost of over $3 Million and teams of over 250 people.  He has been a Project Management Professional since 2002, served as President of the PMI Western Michigan Chapter, and presented at multiple NCPMI Annual Events.  Mark holds a Masters of Education degree from Colorado State University with a concentration in Adult Education and Training.  He is an experienced writer, speaker and presenter on project management and team building topics.  Mark is the Principal Consultant for Broken Arrow Associates, LTD.  He and his family live in a rural area outside of Raleigh, North Carolina.

To contact Mark for opportunities or questions, send an e-mail to info@baa-ltd.com.