3-S Look at Change

As we all know, change is inevitable. This is especially true in the business world. We can't control the change in many cases, but we can control how we and our staff experience the change. There are lots of theories about how to deal with change and many books on the subject as well. One of my favorites is Who Moved My Cheese? It is a simple story told with mice, cheese, and a maze. A book we can probably all relate to in some way.

Before implementing a big change, here are 3 questions to consider:

1. Do the people have the skills to make the change?
• Will they require additional training, coaching, or mentoring?
• Have their current positions outgrown them?
• Have the needs of the business changed in a way that they are no longer the best fit?
2. Are the systems in place for the change to work?
• Is the infrastructure strong enough to support the change?
• What technology is needed?
• Are the processes and procedures in place?
• If not, who will be responsible for creating and documenting them?
3. Is management in full support of the change?
• Do you have executive buy-in?
• Is the change and reason for the change clear?
• Has it been communicated, then over communicated?
• Simply, is everyone on the same page?

When dealing with change especially big change there are a lot of things to consider. I recommend first answering these questions in addition to the who, what, where, when, why, and how. This process will give you an idea of how to implement, what steps to takes, what obstacles you may encounter, and other opportunities.

Remember, change is good. If you are not changing, you are not growing.