Change, big or small is one of the most difficult jobs a leader faces over the course of a career. Making change is important but leading change that results in an improved process, situation, and leads to better results is critical to the success of an organization. Change management (an oxymoron if I ever saw one) is difficult under the most ideal circumstances so leaders must find ways to lead people through our good friend Kurt Lewins change stages of unfreezing, movement, and refreezing.
I have learned some lessons the hard way that I would like to share with you. I will state up front that at first I attempted to write a scholarly piece of work, reminiscent of those MBA papers with hopes that I might resemble icons of corporate literature, Michael Porter or Tom Peter. But then I got control of myself and chose a different path. I just couldnt recite more MBA rhetoric because the theory is sound on paper and serves as a an important framework but I have found there are two crucial elements to change that I would like to discuss. They are courage and energy and without these two components the ice can stay frozen.
One of the first things I communicate to people about change is the need for courage. I ask my team members if they and the collective we have the courage to look beyond the surface and determine if the change is for the better or for the sake of change. This is the first necessary, arduous task because we have all experienced unnecessary changes and the resulting turmoil. We have all been on and off numerous health care band wagons and made sweeping changes only to find we did not have a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I ask the involved parties to step back and take a deep dive into the proposed revolution or evolution including the data analysis, hard and soft information, and the internal and external politics. I think it is important to look beyond the obvious and really think through the good and bad down stream effect. Once this initial work has been completed along with honest debate then we can take the next step. In this segment of the process it is important to determine if we are willing to upset the status quo and see the change through. Evaluating potential fail points, barriers, land mines, and difficulties that await us are important to the course of action. I have found that these difficult conversations, that we sometimes try to avoid, serve us well as we move forward with change.
If we have the courage then we need to decide if we have the energy to make the transformation. It is important to call the question- “do we have the energy” to develop the plan, set goals, enlist support, overcome resistance, talk to everyone who will be affected, meet deadlines, hit target dates, implement the change and then monitor it? I t is important to write this “to do” list down for the group to see and discuss. Viewing the daunting list snaps people into the realization that CHANGE IS A LOT OF WORK. Using this process brings issues into clear focus and can serve to invigorate the team, creating an energetic group ready, willing and able to replace the old with the new, convert the non-believers, and make the organization a better place.
Change, big or small is one of the most difficult jobs a leader faces over the course of a career. Making change is important but leading change that results in an improved process, situation, and leads to better results is critical to the success of an organization. Change management (an oxymoron if I ever saw one) is difficult under the most ideal circumstances so leaders must find ways to lead people through our good friend Kurt Lewins change stages of unfreezing, movement, and refreezing. 
