Changing to adapt or adapting to change?

Resistance to change is normal

Changing a process or a system that is familiar to all can feel uncomfortable. But these are normal feelings. After all, who enjoys change?

Change is generally intended for improvement, to make things easier more efficient, or create some other business benefits. At Team, we have recently switched to a new holiday booking system. This company-wide change required some training and adaptation, but the feedback was very positive.

So how do you deal with change? How can you make the transition as fluid as possible? The most important element of change is not the shiny new system; it’s people. It’s for this reason that I like to follow the Prosci ADKAR model when implementing change.

In its simplest form, this model highlights stages to go through to help people accept change. ADKAR is an acronym for the stages:

 
Work hard on doing less, better

Science and technology are ever-growing fields. To get the best from our industry’s constant evolution, we need to work together to welcome change, while keeping in mind that resistance is normal.

“It’s not the most intellectual or strongest that survives, it’s the species that is best at adapting and adjusting to the changing environment.” – Tom Goodwin, Digital Darwinism

Cara is responsible for managing and delivering major change and continuous improvement projects within Team. Her role includes gathering requirements, working closely with suppliers and internal stakeholders, planning communications and providing training.