4 Reasons Why Change Fails

Change. Whether you love it or hate it, all growing companies go through plenty of it, so you might as well learn to accept it! When done right and for the right reasons, change is a very good thing.

In fact, if you look back on your life, I’m willing to bet that most of your significant growth moments were also those times when you were in the midst of a big change. And while not all changes create growth, we cannot grow without change.

Despite our best intentions, however, sometimes change fails. Over the years, I’ve observed four reasons why.

Changing for the wrong reasons.

We change to seek new opportunities, to grow, and to continue living out our vision. We shouldn’t be changing because we’re bored or because we want to do something solely for our own benefit. Ask yourself, “Am I doing this because it’s best for the organization or because it’s best for me?”

Rushing it.

If you’re an activator like me, once you’ve decide a change is good, you’re ready to implement that change. Now. However, a change worth doing is a change worth doing right. Think through the steps. Involve the necessary players. Solicit feedback. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Envision the end result. Resist the urge to push it through too quickly.

Not Getting Your Team’s Buy In.

You can force change on your employees, but they don’t have to support it. Take the time to explain the change. Tell why it’s necessary and connect it to the vision. Explain how the change will impact the team, and paint the picture of what things will be like after the change.

No Connection to the Vision.

If your change doesn’t support your vision, then you need to seriously revisit the change. Your vision is what your organization works toward accomplishing every day, so every change you make should be in support of that big picture.