By Eli Sopow Ph.D.

There are few topics in management and leadership so vastly written about as “change management.”  In
many such cases the prescriptive theme often involves the need to communicate early and often, to build a
sense of urgency about the need for change, to achieve quick wins, and to amass a cadre of trusted
champions to marshal the process along its way.  It is also a fact that the vast majority of corporate change
processes fail. Here's why...and how to avoid the pitfalls.  
Three falsehoods about change:

1. "We must/will change the culture."

2. "People are resistant to change."

3. "Senior leaders must lead change."

An organization's culture are the things that
root the place, give it stability, and provide
strength. Yes, there can be root rot. But
proclaiming "a change in culture is
needed" is announcing that all the good
things about the past no longer matter, that
anchors of security are being cut away, and
uncertain actions lie ahead.

Don't focus on changing the culture. Focus
on the climate, the here and now
situational actions that may be an
outgrowth of culture. Positively align the Six
Systems Network and a re-nourished, not
changed culture, will follow.

People do not resist change that they see
as healthy. They resist change that is full of
the unknown and leaves them powerless.
Reduce this fear by providing facts that are
meaningful, that show how the future is
linked to the best of the past, and offer
plenty of opportunities for easy
contributions to the process.
Positive and healthy change occurs not through strong leaders who take
command of the charge but from all those affected by change. Change is an
organic process, not a mechanistic one. It involves complex networks of
communication, cooperation, and connectivity. Leadership in a change process is
dynamic. While there are indeed broad goals and a vision for the future, the
process involves lots of self-organization, questioning of assumptions, and
re-start if necessary.
Successfully blending culture & climate
See also the feature article on this by Dr. Eli Sopow in the fall
2006 issue of Strategic Communications Management published
by London-based Melcrum Publishing (www.Melcrum.com).
Sopow & Wilde Organizational Consulting