Taking Charge of Change

In the past, change was contiguous. But now, a multitude of changes are happening simultaneously. If you think you’re playing it safe by taking on only as much change as your comfort level permits, remember what Will Rogers once said: "Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there."

In his book, "Managing at the Speed of Change: How Resilient Managers Succeed and Prosper Where Others Fail" (Villard Books, 1993), Daryl R. Conner, president and CEO of ODR Inc., Atlanta, illustrates the current state of change using a child’s riddle. "On day one," he writes, "a large lake contains only a single small lily pad. Each day the number of lily pads doubles, until on the 30th day the lake is totally choked with vegetation. On what day was the lake half full? The answer, of course, is the 29th day. It took 29 days for the first half of the lake to fill with lily pads, but only 24 additional hours for the lake to become overwhelmed."

Welcome to day 29. Anyone who’s been in finance for any amount of time is already too familiar with the constant change that threatens to choke out creativity and cut off innovation and productivity. It’s not just that business is changing, but rather that the nature of change itself is changing. How can we possibly lead our organizations when we feel like we’re drowning; when we’re all desperately trying to hold on to the lily pads we already know? Is there any hope?

The answer is "yes ... but." Finance professionals can learn to manage and embrace change, but it takes effort. It starts by thoroughly understanding the nature of change, why change is so difficult, and how change should be managed. In fact, every successful corporate executive in the near future will be both a student and master of change dynamics.