A hate or love relationship with change management

Why do people resist? Why do people sometimes resist the next best thing that can happen to them?

I was thinking of this while I attended to the launch of Harley Lovegrove’s “The Change Manager’s Handbook”, a book I contributed to with cartoons. I drew these cartoons from my own point of view as a change manager. While doing this, I realized I have a love/hate relationship with change management.

The hate (strong word, I know) comes from a certain frustration: you can’t get from idea to realization fast enough or well enough. You feel it’s a good idea, it makes life better. You wish everyone else did as well. But they resist you, who is trying to change the current-and-well-enough state of things.

The love comes from using the energy of resistance to your benefit. The love comes from building up a “fanbase” for your idea, your project. Because in the end, people are happy when they see their lives improve somehow.

… which in turn reminds me of another cartoon:

I think in the latter, it should be: “who wants to BE changeD”. What am I getting at? Do this check regularly: if you’re giving no one the impression that he or she is being changed by your project, then you won’t create frustration. Not that they’ll love the change, but at least you will.