The Challenge of Change: Understanding and Overcoming “The Most Dangerous Phrase”

Part 1: Understanding

We’ve always done it this way.

And it’s worked out so far.

It gets the job done.

So what’s the problem? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

We know this way.

• We use this way each and every day.

• It’s familiar. We know it inside and out.

• Another way is theoretical. This way, our way, is tried and tested.

We are experts.

• And we know what we are doing.

We like this way.

• This way is our way.

• We feel safe with this way.

• We trust this way.

• This way is comfortable.

This way is tradition.

• This way is our history, our heritage.

  • Do you not value these?

And what do you know about this way anyway?

• You’re new here. You aren’t familiar with how we do things.

• You don’t do our job. You don’t know this way. You can’t relate.

• And what expertise can you offer? May we see your credentials? Where is your PhD?

• What experience do you bring to the table?

  • Well, isn’t that nice. Your mother must be proud. We have much more though. We’ve been working with this way long before you could even Google anything about it – actually, long before there was a Google.

We don’t trust you.

We don’t respect you.

We think you’re a fool.

We don’t really like you either.

We don’t understand why this way needs to change.      

• Or maybe we do, but we’re scared. Change is scary sometimes.

  • What does another way mean for us? Does this mean we need to change?

    • That can be really scary! And hard. And involve work. We already have so much work to do. And so little time. How are we supposed to manage all this?

Frankly, we’re getting tired of change.

• Can’t you just leave this way alone?

Are you questioning this way because you are questioning us?

• Do you not respect us?

• Do you not trust us?

• Do you think you’re smarter than us?

• Do you think you’re better than us?

• Do you think we’re idiots?

• Do you think we’re foolish?

• Do you think we’re lazy?

• Do you think we don’t take pride in what we do?

Do you think this way is no longer relevant?

Do you think we are no longer relevant?

• That is dreadfully scary!

  • What does that really mean for us? For the people we love? Are we safe?

What else do you think is no longer relevant?

• All this is terrifying.

What if another way is challenging?

• What if we can’t keep up?

What if another way doesn’t work?

• Who will be responsible?

• Will you blame us?

• What will happen to our project?

  • And to our other projects?

  • And to us?

What other ways are going to start creeping in?

• Is this the first step on the road to all new ways?

• Will anything be familiar anymore?

• Will you change us out for something all new too?

Part 2: Overcoming

This way or another way, I’m here by your side and I’m rolling up my sleeves.

I’m on your team and we’re all in this together.

And another way can be scary for me too.

Let’s support one another and together try on another way for size.

• It’s been quite some time since we’ve tried any other way. Who knows? It might turn out that we really like how another way fits.

Let’s pilot another way and see how it goes.

• And if another way doesn’t work out, that’s okay.

• Let’s be sure we talk candidly about our experience with this experiment though.

• We can then better assess what we think and feel about another way and take it from there.

That said, let’s make sure we don’t mistakenly throw the baby out with the bathwater.

• You have so much expertise and experience and that has brought us here with this way.

• Let’s marry past experience with fresh thinking as we collectively strive to make today better than yesterday.

We all have important contributions to make and insights to offer.

Whether we have done it this way for decades or days, let’s all be open to new ideas, perspectives, and ways of doing things in our shared goal of making things even better.

And let’s be there for one another in doing so.