Change Management Fundamentals “Gangnam Ivan Style” – Part XXXXVIII: In my opinion, organizations need to embrace the notion that during periods of change it is critical to ensure that policies and procedures are in place to remedy early symptoms of “Sheep Syndrome” generally resulting from a strong desire to preserve the past whereby everybody tends to stick together like an irritating rash to fight against proposed changes with backlash. It is important for organizations to acknowledge that during periods of change everyone tends to feel a certain degree of hatred against the proposed change which in the extreme cases can feel like someone attempting to erase the memories of one’s past by changing that which has in substance become a shrine attesting to the existence of a past tribe. In general, the longer a group of individuals have grown together from within, the stronger the ties that bind to preserve the past sacred shrine. Thus, like sheep accustomed to grazing in the same grass, they tend to get a little bit stir crazy when there is a new wolf passing through their matured pasture path. Thus, like sheep which tend to feel threatened at the sight of a wolf, they tend to form a herd to punch and kick the wolf from behind where the wolf tends to have a blind side. The key point to note is that during periods of change, there will tend to be a far greater ration of sheep to wolves such that the problem with change by design is that there is the risk that the sheep combine in order to strike the wolf from the blindside in order to protect their sacred grazing shrine. Therefore, the risk during periods of change is that the sheep combine to preserve their sacred past grazing shrine while contemporaneously taking out the wolf which brings change from the blind side. In order to counteract the strength in numbers created by sheep during periods of change, the wolf needs allies in his pack in order to surprise the sheep when they are focused on the rear end of the wolf with the backup of a herd who can steer the sheep in line with the ultimate goal of change management success under “Sheep Syndrome” duress. As can be seen from this simple metaphor of actions and reactions of sheep and wolves, there is an inherent dynamic that results from any change in the underlying environment which if not managed properly can result in multitudes of unusual, strange and bizarre psychological reactions beyond the realm of Sigmund Freud. The question is not whether it is better to be a sheep or a wolf but rather the question is do we want a wolf in order to manage the sheep through the change. If the answer is no to the wolf, then it is better to not initiate any change as sheep by design have no interest in change other than a little bit of rain to fertilize their graze. If the answer is yes to the wolf, then change will tend to successfully transpire albeit the stir craziness of the sheep looking to preserve their sacred field to forever eternally graze and stay. In summary, I refer to “Change Management Gangnam Ivan Style” as the belief that for true change to occur, one needs a wolf who by design will make sheep a little bit stir crazy due to sacred field desire to eternally graze and stay. PSY - Gangnam Style: youtube/watch?v=mHfZiQEB0tE
Posted on: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:23:11 +0000
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