In a marketing book I once read (entitled Marketing Managment (2000), by Prof. Jacob Hornik and Prof. Phillip Kotler) there’s a chapter about introducing a change into an organization.
Besides discussing various ways to do that, the chapter also talks about the forces fighting the change, and brings a list of ‘common yet effective ways to fight change’, here it is:
Employee: “I have a great idea!”
Manager – quickly choose one or more of the following responses:
- It will never work for this organization.
- We tried it before.
- This is not the right time.
- It can’t be done.
- We don’t work that way.
- We’re doing great without this.
- It’s too expensive.
- Let’s discuss this in our next meeting.
- …
Free Tip: “When in Rome, *Change* Like a Roman”… 😉
Yeah, that one should probably be on the list, too 🙂
Sad but true.
organization should be flexible to change, no doubt, it keeps the organization conscious and alert.
But organization doesn’t need to embrace change in 2 hands just because someone think it is good idea. Questioning the change and the motivations is a very good process.
Most of the times change just for the sake of change is a waste of energy (unless the purpose is to shake up the organization).