EVERY MANAGER HAS A STORY TO TELL. Management Chronicles is an imaginary tale of how one manager tackles an all-too-familiar predicament. The stories may be fiction, but the solutions are tried and true.

Looking back, Kim is appalled at the way she used to foist change on people and then coax and cajole them until they accepted it—or at least, until they stopped complaining, which in her mind was the same thing. Recalling her disastrous first experience in introducing change, Kim remembers wondering, "Why are they so upset about getting what they need " Breathing space, for example. After the last merger, her fifteen-person team had been crammed into a claustrophobic corner. Pair programming was one thing; fifteen-person, elbow-to-elbow programming was another altogether. So when Kim heard about some space opening up on the sixteenth floor, she made a bid for it and got it. "They’ll be so pleased," she concluded confidently.

Mindful of looming deadlines, Kim decided not to distract the team with details of the move. Besides, she loved the idea of surprising them. But when the time came and she announced, "Start packing—we’re moving up-stairs on Friday," her team didn’t leap up in unison and shout "Hooray!" A few people were enthusiastic. The rest of the team? They were shocked, outraged, incredulous, as if to say, "What, you want me to give up this stifling, cramped workspace? No way, I like it here!"

As the team moaned and groaned its way through the move, Kim could barely control her annoyance. "This is what you need, so stop complaining!" she growled to her team members. Gradually, very gradually, life returned to normal—and definitely a more efficient and comfortable normal than before. But not before a disconcerting dip in productivity as the team adjusted to their "spacious" new cubicles, the relative quiet, procedural changes (such as scheduling use of previously unavailable meeting rooms), and especially their new patterns of communication now that they were no longer face to face. The team’s adjustment took longer than Kim had anticipated. And regaining the team’s trust took even longer. For some time, rumors flew about what else she might suddenly spring on them.

In a meeting of managers who got together periodically for mutual support, Kim described her team’s resistance to the move. "Not everyone likes surprises," commented one member of the group. "Your timing wasn’t terrific, given their deadlines. The added stress couldn’t have helped productivity," suggested another. "Sounds like you thought they’d instantly love the idea of packing their earthly belongings and moving," offered a third. Kim gulped. All this time, she’d seen her team as the problem. Now, she realized with dismay that she was the culprit.

One thing you could say about Kim—when she blundered, she blundered big, but when she learned, she really got it. So down the road, when she was informed of management’s decision to relocate her department and some others to a neighboring building, she called her team members together and told them of the pending move. "I don’t know the date of the move yet or any of the other details for that matter," she explained. "But I wanted you to know what’s in the works. As soon as I learn more, I’ll fill you in."

Much as Kim yearned to make this move hassle-free for everyone, she now knew that people respond differently to change. This is certainly a department of individual differences, she realized. Tony, for example, seemed to cling to the status quo; he excelled as a programmer, but changing how he worked jostled him. Jane, by contrast, got bored by sameness and was always in search of new techniques, new methods, new anything. And most of the others wanted, more than anything, to just be left alone to do their jobs.

While she didn’t want to mollycoddle people and give them all the time in the world—they still had deadlines to meet—she accepted that adjustment to change takes time, and some people take more time than others. "Patience, patience, patience," she reminded herself.

In the meantime, she took steps to ease their transition to the new quarters. In preparation for the move, Kim invited each member of the department to review the proposed layout and offer feedback. As they did, she noticed that they were starting to adjust to the move even before it happened. She asked the team leads to identify the potential impact on their work as they packed, unpacked, settled in, and wrestled with the inevitable glitches. And she accepted their suggestion that they meet briefly each morning to discuss any questions or concerns that had come up regarding the move.

But that’s not all. While some members of the department never withheld their opinion, several held back unless asked. So, shortly after she announced the move, Kim scheduled one-on-ones with all department members to give them an opportunity to have their say. "Tell me what will make this move as stress-free as possible for you," she asked each person, inviting each one to follow up via email with any additional thoughts. "I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to act on your ideas," she emphasized so no one would expect the impossible, "but you can be sure I’ll listen." And listen she did, both leading up to the move and afterward, as they all settled in to their new surroundings.

In retrospect, Kim realized that the abrupt, shut-up-and-do-it way she had handled that first move was a classic case of how not to manage change. Kim is older now. That she couldn’t help. But she is also wiser, and for that she deserves credit. {end}

STORY LINES

SIGNIFICANT CHANGE is a felt experience. 
People’s reactions to change are often more emotional and visceral than logical and rational, and a certain amount of chaos is a normal and inevitable part of the change experience. However, the way you introduce and over-see the change can minimize— or exacerbate—the duration and intensity of that chaos. Therefore, keep in mind that:

PUSHBACK is a common response to change. Instead of labeling people "resistant to change," recognize this reaction as normal and seek to understand their concerns.

MAJOR CHANGE rarely generates an immediate boost in productivity. Anticipate a temporary dipin productivity as people adjust to the new way.

IN TIMES OF CHANGE, people have an intense need to know what is happening and how it will affect them. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

DISTRUST impedes acceptance of change. Build strong, trusting relationships before introducing change.