Change Management - Adapt or Stagnate
The subject of change and adaption comes up regularly within the context of social media. Many practitioners of social media lament the slow pace of adoption from corporate bodies. However, the approach to change is key to its success. Change for its own sake is never a good idea. Equally, resisting change because you fear it brings the very real risk of positioning you behind the market.
Fear of change is not a bad thing as long as you approach that fear proactively. Fear is brought about through the unknown. We can all agree that change has to come from a position of understanding and consideration.
Asking the right questions from the right people is a great way to address the fear of change, however, this needs to be done in conjunctions with an open attitude and the will to change if it makes sense to do so.
Q: How many psychologists does it take to change a light-bulb?
A: One, but the light-bulb must really want to change
From a position of understanding, you are better able to map your intention with your existing resources and the prevailing (and future) industry landscape. Then change becomes informed and effective. There are many parts to change and these need careful consideration and given adequate resource allocation, but first comes the will to change and the understanding behind the reasons.
How do you deal with the fear of the unknown?
I’ve been a mainstream consumer publisher for most of my life. When comparing old and new it’s got to be the instantaneous communication factor that stands out as being ‘the difference’.
This incredible development is both positive and exciting but I fear that on occasions it may encourage dangerous haste.
No matter what form it takes, productive communication requires thought and consideration, which in their turn require time.
Just as before, communication needs a SENDER ——-> MESSAGE ——-> RECEIVER ——> TIME.
Today we all have the chance to instantly send and receive messages, to influence and advise but our pace of life and our communication tools have stolen TIME from us. They influence and encourage speed, which ironically may not always be a good thing.
Social networking practitioners should perhaps give greater consideration to TIME as an influential factor in their modern communication equation.
More often than not TIME = accuracy.