Chapter 1: Change is a verb

Change Is a Verb:

Making it happen instead of letting it happen

For most people, most of the time, change is a noun. It’s a thing that happens to us. Whether it’s a change in gas prices, a change in our waist size or a disruptive change in the IT distribution marketplace, it’s often the object of dread, of uncertainty and of disdain.

But change is also a verb. It’s an action we can take. We can change the kind of car we drive, change the food we eat and even change the way we approach a challenge. Heck, I’ve changed my mind a dozen times today and my clothes twice!

Whether it’s a noun that’s happening to you or a verb that you’re doing, change is always hard. It just is. As humans, we tend toward stasis – even at a biological level. Our bodies and our minds will go to great lengths to keep everything the same, in spite of external forces. In fact, that change in our waist size is an unfortunate byproduct of our body’s efforts to keep things static.

The fact remains, however, that we live in a quickly changing world, especially in the IT industry, and our survival depends our ability to respond effectively to it (when it’s a noun) and to lead others effectively through it (when it’s a verb).

In the upcoming series of articles, we’re going to give you some tools to do just that. Luckily for you (and us), some very smart people – like John Kotter, John Fisher and even General Electric – have done a lot of the work for you. Their observations about leading and responding to change provide a blueprint for success from which we’ll borrow liberally.

Come back next week, when we’ll talk about the difference between change and transition, and whether it really matters. We’ll then begin the scary stroll through the valley of the shadow of change. You will fear no evil.

Eryc Eyl / Freelance Writer and Business Consultant