SWITCH

Switch: How to Change Things when change is hard?

I have already mentioned the Switch book while talking about “Followership”: before proceeding with “the change”, it is important to understand why change is necessary.

On my previous working place we had implemented ERP System in the 7 branches of the DIY company all over Russia with about 1000 active users. Here I would like to mention that before this implementation most of the processes were manual and noone wanted to change anything, no matter how work efficiency could be increased. Even more: people were afraid that after this system implementation they will be under full control of the managers, and were afraid to lose their job as they thought that a new system will replace them. I am not mentioning the fact that computer literacy was very low.

“What looks like a people problem is often a situation problem”.

From our side “we don’t promise that we’re going to make change easy, but at least we can make it easier” with your help. We developed all business processes, performed trainings and exams. To emphasize the studying process we were giving Certificates to the ones who gave exam successfully with differentiated marks (“excellent”, “very good”, “good”).

On the first day of the system launch there were still people who hadn’t pass exam yet so as per our policies they were not allowed to work in the system.

“Now that you’ve defined your bright spot, you can try to clone it”

But there were no more manual job so they were out of job, without using the system they couldn’t be part of the working flow.

So were forced to learn (there were no second options, just to quit the job) and most of them became very successful, as soon as they stopped to resist: ”No matter what kind of person you are, you can always change substantially”

So they “SEE-FEEL-CHANGE” and “They’d have to practice it”.

Above experience helped me to believe that as per "Switch: “Big changes can happen”.

Have a nice day,
Tatiana