Change – It Starts With One

I just finished an excellent book on change:

It Starts with One: Changing Individuals Changes Organizations

This book does an very good job explaining how to move an organization through change. As with Agile the principles in this book are simple but difficult to implement. Here are the three principles of implementing change in an organization:

1. See”…we must understand that people will not change if they fail to see the need and they often fail to see the need for change because  they are blinded by the light of what they already see—the powerful mental maps that have worked well for them in the past.”Our own successes are often the reason we do not see the need for change.
2. Move”First, even after we have helped people see that the old right thing is now wrong, and we have painted a picture of the new right thing, that new map must have a clear destination or vision.”People need a clear vision for change. But change always involves personal risk. These risks must be mitigated so as a person moves through a time of incompetence they know that their will be rewards along the journey.
3. FinishSo many times change is not successful because people get tired or lost.Change  is hard and it is so easy to go back to doing what you comfortable doing and are competent in doing. During this time of change constant feedback and encouragement are needed.Also it is easy to get lost when making the change. Often people wonder are they making a difference or are they performing the correct tasks.

This books gives excellent examples and tools to use to help implement change in an organization. As Agile coaches we are often in the middle of change in an organization. I know from personal experience it is helpful to have additional insights on how to manage change.