“This too Shall Pass” is such a common response shared at water coolers or even in departmental meetings by managers themselves across so many companies during times of change. A new CEO comes on board, or maybe a new division SVP, personnel changes are made, new directions are determined and those new directions turn into specific programs asking various individuals or groups to change what they do. You start hearing people say, “This is just another CEO’s (insert SVP, manager, etc.) shaking things up. Just wait it out, this will pass.”
I remember clearly an example where a leader of a large group within a company actually even gave this “wait it out” response to his own team members even though his direct boss and the CEO were directing them to encourage specific changes. His words were something like, “Let other groups take the plunge first. We will see how that goes. Just keep doing what you are doing because somebody will see this change doesn’t make sense and it will go away or they will want something new. I will stall them.”
I can hear your saying “that is so wrong”, or “not in our company”, or “yeah, I have thought that myself.” Why does this response occur in so many environments? It is a function of history. If we are honest, we know that in many companies, organizational change has not been approached as formally as it should and likely many past attempts to “transform” the organization have fizzled out for one reason or the other. There are many reasons this might occur that are legitimate (sudden shifts in the market, changes in leadership – again, discovery that the new direction does not work, etc.), but there are also plenty of examples where past attempts at change and a lack of true planning, true engagement at every level, lack of communication and follow-through have set up the “this too shall pass” response so easily. This response actually demonstrates more apathy than it does actual resistance, but it is still resistance that should be considered early in any organizational change process.
If you know you are in an organization where this response is likely because of your companies past attempts at change, what should you do? For now, let’s just look at the obvious and most important next actions.
- The senior management team, specifically your CEO (Owner, President) is going to have to clearly recognize the past history of failed or “less than successful” organizational change and address this directly with clear, positive communication to the entire organization. Own the past.
- The very next project involving any kind of organizational change (small or large) must be thoughtfully planned and executed to ensure that it works. Own the next project.
Really? That’s what you have to say? Yes, it is. Take accountability for the past and then demonstrate that you can execute change in a way that engages those involved from start to finish. That is the only way for the “this too shall pass” to go away. You can’t expect people to just stop saying things like that if you give them a reason to say it. If you just try the “just tell them to do it this way” method again, it is likely not going to work… again.
