| The HUMAN SIDE of CHANGE |
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The Human Side of Improvement
“. . . THROUGH . . .”
IMPROVEMENT is about change. The word IMPROVEMENT denotes and
connotes better. The word CHANGE more often connotes worse. Most
people perceive IMPROVEMENT efforts as CHANGE.
There are two kinds of change. Social scientists have dubbed the first kind –
morphostasis, the ability to look different yet remain the same. The look of
an organization is altered but the core of the organization and its output
remains the same. A puppy becomes a dog, a duckling becomes a duck. The
second kind of change has been called morphgenesis. This type of change
alters the genetics of an organization, and unalterably affects and is reflected
in every aspect of an organization’s being. A puppy becomes a panther, a
duckling becomes a horse. World-class organizations learn and master this
second type of change and are continually reinventing themselves to respond
to their business environments.
Improvement is change. And change is CREATION. But every act of
CREATION is an act of destruction. For something to be created, the form
and substance of what is must be dissolved. If you decide to cut down a
tree, saw it into boards and build a house; you can’t get the tree back. It’s
that simple.
Improvement takes commitment. The greater the improvement envisioned,
the greater the commitment. Step-change improvements are rare because of
the need for fundamental organizational ownership to let go of “the way
things have been”, to move out of an organization’s comfort zone.
In a competitive environment standing still is moving backward relative to
competitors. Making a commitment to improve is not without risk. But not
making a commitment to improve is also a risk, often a greater risk
depending on the vigor of the present competitors and business
environments, and more strategically, future competition (e.g. Substitutes).
Going “on hold” is not an option. Even so, it does not make choosing to
move forward, to improve faster than the competition, a “no-brainier” to
implement.
When you are talking about the rate of improvement, keep in mind that
most will understand you as talking about the rate of change, and all will hear
(at one point or another) the rate of destruction.
“. . . THROUGH . . .”
IMPROVEMENT is about change. The word IMPROVEMENT denotes and
connotes better. The word CHANGE more often connotes worse. Most
people perceive IMPROVEMENT efforts as CHANGE.
There are two kinds of change. Social scientists have dubbed the first kind –
morphostasis, the ability to look different yet remain the same. The look of
an organization is altered but the core of the organization and its output
remains the same. A puppy becomes a dog, a duckling becomes a duck. The
second kind of change has been called morphgenesis. This type of change
alters the genetics of an organization, and unalterably affects and is reflected
in every aspect of an organization’s being. A puppy becomes a panther, a
duckling becomes a horse. World-class organizations learn and master this
second type of change and are continually reinventing themselves to respond
to their business environments.
Improvement is change. And change is CREATION. But every act of
CREATION is an act of destruction. For something to be created, the form
and substance of what is must be dissolved. If you decide to cut down a
tree, saw it into boards and build a house; you can’t get the tree back. It’s
that simple.
Improvement takes commitment. The greater the improvement envisioned,
the greater the commitment. Step-change improvements are rare because of
the need for fundamental organizational ownership to let go of “the way
things have been”, to move out of an organization’s comfort zone.
In a competitive environment standing still is moving backward relative to
competitors. Making a commitment to improve is not without risk. But not
making a commitment to improve is also a risk, often a greater risk
depending on the vigor of the present competitors and business
environments, and more strategically, future competition (e.g. Substitutes).
Going “on hold” is not an option. Even so, it does not make choosing to
move forward, to improve faster than the competition, a “no-brainier” to
implement.
When you are talking about the rate of improvement, keep in mind that
most will understand you as talking about the rate of change, and all will hear
(at one point or another) the rate of destruction.