In a fun and mind-turning essay, Michael T. Kanazawa argues People Don’t Hate Change, They Hate How You’re Trying To Change Them
It starts out with a cold slap in the face: “According to a summary of over 40 research studies on change, the success rate of strategy execution and corporate change programs is 33 percent.”
In other words, change is hard. Kanazawa then digs himself a hole, by hoisting up those glowing beacons of hope: Apple, Nintendo and IBM. Oh, c’mon. We’re smarter than that. These companies changed for the same reasons alcoholics do: they were about to die. That’s not to diminish the accomplishments of either the companies or alcoholics who turn themselves around. But what manager wants to have to endure a near-death experience? Kanazawa also puts Starbucks in his list of companies that have made remarkable changes. Yes, much of America now pays triple what it should to experience coffee, a big change indeed. But the caffeine is off the bean at Starbucks.
But stick with him, or better yet, just skip the few paragraphs on these companies. Kanazawa’s next point gets back to why companies fail to make changes.
“Because so many of these programs fail, some executives and managers start to believe the old saying that “people hate change” must be true. That is not true. In fact, employment surveys reveal that the top reason good employees leave companies is over a lack of new opportunities and boredom with stagnant, never-changing, dead-end jobs.”
He goes on to talk about the fake change programs that create just such boredom amongst employees, citing his experiences at Dilbert Co. (the old Pacific Bell) and other firms. He says these really aren’t Dilbert companies, but Peanuts companies, because Lucy (management) holds out the football (change) and then pulls it away just when Charlie Brown (employees) try to kick it.
Then he starts to cite examples of how change can work. He looks at a concrete manufacturer whose margins were being hammered by rising fuel prices. Company management’s mandates failed. But when the CEO met with drivers and got their ideas on what to do, real change did happen. Why?
“When it came time to implement these changes, there was no need for a big “buy-in” campaign. There was already ownership and therefore accountability to making the ideas work. In fact, the employees wanted to prove to management that their ideas would generate results.”
There are other examples, as well, leading to Kanazawa’s big point: “people thrive on change” and management’s job “is to unleash it.” This essay provides an excellent synopsis of the book “Big Ideas to Big Results,” by Kanazawa and his partner Robert H. Miles. I had started this book and found it an encouraging beginning, but have not yet read enough to review it. This essay, despite its rocky start, whetted my interest in going back to it.
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