Transitions

As you may or may not know, I am in the middle of my own transition. This one is our repatriation from Bangkok to Stockholm. You might think our transition should be long accomplished, but alas, it is not. We are still longing back to our home and friends in Bangkok, despite the pollution situation. And honestly, I am personally, only now really focusing on finding a consulting assignment for myself. The Autumn months have just disappeared, I have been busy with important things, but looking back, it is hard to understand where the time has gone.

In my work to find work, I am truly on a learning curve as we seldom are in life. I read recently that if you are not outside your comfort zone, you are not learning. Well, I am. I started this process with a vague idea that I wanted to synthesize my leadership, IT and coaching background into something new and exciting for myself. I have been meeting with lots of people, other consultants, recruiters and company leaders to start figuring out what this might be. A few weeks in, I landed on the term ‘Change Management’ as a good label for what I wanted to work with. As I started using this label, ‘I am looking for an assignment within Change Management,’ I found out that there are as many definitions for what change management is as there are individuals to speak with about it. Everyone has their own perception and way of thinking. I love it. That ambiguity makes me even more interested.

One person meant that Change Management is what goes on after a project is finished and the result is delivered to the line/maintenance organization. It is all about adapting to new ways of working and thinking post-change.

Another immediately responded that Change Management was about business scenario simulation at the executive leadership level combined with both team and individual coaching.

Another individual meant that Change Management was about the combining of structure and good leadership. Meaning that a project or program can only be successful when both are in place. Good leadership was about establishing a culture of innovation and growth mindset where agile methodology can thrive.

A recruiter I met, without hesitation, interpreted Change Management as a synonym to Digital Transformation through agile ways-of-working.

The coaches around me, believe that the path to true transformational change is through coaching. And that it is about uncovering our beliefs, world-views and values so we understand our own behavior.

One assignment announcement I read indicated that change management at their company was all about Kanban, Six Sigma and LEAN.

The books I’ve been delving into talk about ‘Discontinuous’ and ‘Continuous’ change and the management of both of these. One book (which I’m still reading) is talking about how most business literature on change management assumes that we humans are against change; But, that that is because most change results in layoffs or more work for individuals, meaning that they feel threatened. In fact, as humans we love change and growth and if the term ‘change’ in the business world led to higher salaries and less work, we wouldn’t at all be resistant to change.

I am thoroughly enjoying this process of penetrating the area of Change Management and am still working on my own way of talking about what I believe it is. Maybe even my own framework. It is a journey. What I do know, is that, for me, the area of Change Management is broad and sweeping and can mean different things to different people and at different points in time also have different emphasis. It can be within organizations and it can be for individuals.