ABSTRACT
Change often takes place more slowly than we wish, and many times it does not go exactly as we had envisioned. All of this can be very frustrating. How we respond under these circumstances may determine whether the seeds of change we planted with such hope actually take root and flourish, especially when we initiate cultural change. In an organization with an established culture, the inherent forces tend to support the current existing stability and pull back from change. Therefore, one essential component of leading change is to support and reinforce any attempts to move in the right direction—and to do so promptly, as they occur. Until the new practices become ingrained, there is always the possibility that people will revert to their previous, more comfortable habits, even if these are less effective. There are many forces—and people—who want the risk-taking initiators to turn back, and work hard to achieve this. And, believe it or not, in some settings there are those who actually hope they fail either so they can say, “I told you so” and/or so they do not have to do the change themselves at some point.
