As a change practitioner, I find it ironic that people would pay thousands of dollars to change something back to the way it was before. But really, they are changing something they would like to keep to a condition they would prefer to have it in. They want to make it look good, run smoothly, be useful, and gain longevity. The parallels to organizational change are fascinating to think about.

With the passage of time, edges get worn, paint fades, parts break, dust settles. What used to work doesn’t work anymore, whether from too much use and repetition or from sitting dormant. For it to be worth having, they need to make it new again.

Each object that is brought into the shop is unique, yet to get most items back to mint working condition the crew has to:

• Thoroughly dismantle it
• Clean it
• Sandblast it
• Replace broken and rusted parts
• Pound out the dents
• Fill holes
• Weld it
• Paint it
• Reassemble it
• Make sure it works

And yet after all that, it’s still the same object underneath, otherwise it wouldn’t be a restoration but a reproduction.

What have been the effects of time on your organization?

In what ways is your change initiative a restoration project?

Change agents do the following things that make their change initiative resistible.

Accept Parts of the Organization “As Is”

Change often bumps into something that is seems immovable. Usually, that something is part of the organization’s culture, “the way we do things around here.” Often, the culture stands in the way of the change you are trying to implement. When you accept those elements of the organization as unchangeable, then it’s like trying to plant seeds in arid soil, and the initiative will not take hold.

Deal with the Symptoms of Resistance

What is often called resistance – push back, procrastination, going rogue, for example – are the outward signs of resistance and really just symptoms. When you combat the symptoms – by making logical arguments, getting bosses involved, creating rules – the result is greater resistance. The key to reducing resistance is to uncover and address the underlying source instead.

Assume Managers Know How to Lead Your Change

Changing an organization requires managers at all levels to lead change for those who report to them. For example, they need to model behaviors, communicate adequately, and guide people in the right direction. Left to their own devices, managers can fall short of doing what is necessary to lead change, and then your change lacks the support it needs to succeed.

Stay Silent When Something Needs to be Said

You can’t fix a problem that no one will admit exists. Even issues that everyone knows about go unaddressed because they are uncomfortable to talk about. Whether it is an individual who needs feedback or a team that is skirting an issue, staying silent means holding back progress. If the person responsible for instigating change is not speaking up, then chances are no one else will either.

Set Limits on Your Own Influence

When you drive change from the middle of the organization, it seems like there is a bubble beyond which you can’t have an impact. There may be people you think you can’t talk to because they are too many levels above (or below) you on the org chart. Or you allow politics or silos to dictate who you can work with. Setting limits on your influence leaves you feeling powerless and keeps your initiative trapped behind imaginary walls.

Some of the obstacles change agents encounter are self-inflicted. Watch out for your own assumptions, actions or lack of action that allow your change to be resistible.

For more on what it takes to design and influence irresistible change, check out the Irresistible Change Guide.

As a result, they start thinking about their alternatives. Some seek other roles or projects within the same organization, and others start looking for another job altogether. And while they are waiting to jump ship, they give up in place, going through the motions but resigned to the fact that the initiative will flounder.

It’s not that they want the initiative to fail. Often, they care enough to want to wash their hands of the failure. If they quit, they figure, then it’s someone else’s failure and not theirs. They’ve done all they can do. No sense continuing to bang their head against a wall that’s not going to give.

What an awful feeling, right? If that’s where you are, ask yourself these three questions before you completely throw in the towel:

Is the initiative worth fighting for?

Some projects you do because it’s your job. Others you do because you deeply believe in the cause. If the change were to fail, then the result would go against your values. Based on what is important to you, is failure an option you can live with? Or does failure result in a bad outcome for employees, customers or others you care about? An initiative that is not aligned with your values may not be worth the frustration. But if a successful outcome is worth fighting for, then you could most likely muster the energy for another attempt.

Is the challenge that’s blocking you something that is common to organizational change?

There are a number of challenges that are common to most organizational change initiatives. Leaders not doing what you need them to do. People not paying attention or not showing the enthusiasm you expect. A deeply entrenched status quo. If the challenge you face is something that is common to most change initiatives, then it’s likely you will face it no matter where you go. If you haven’t figured out how to overcome it in an organization you are familiar with, what is the likelihood you will be able to overcome it in a new environment with strangers? If you could figure out how to unblock the common challenge, then you would be a rock star change agent no matter where you go. If you jump ship first, you might just get stuck by the same thing next time.

Is there an issue that hasn’t been addressed that, if resolved, would jar the initiative loose?

Some initiatives get stuck when there is an issue that hasn’t been dealt with. Perhaps there is a leader who needs feedback about how their behavior contradicts the change message. Or maybe there is an “elephant in the room” whenever the team meets – something that everyone knows but no one will talk about. Until now, you too have been too uncomfortable to address it directly. If the issue were addressed, would the initiative become unstuck? If you are thinking of leaving anyway, why not give it a try?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then it’s probably worth another try to get the initiative moving again. Consider the following resources to help you get unstuck:

• Irresistible:  The Change Agent’s Guide to Design & Influence Change Without Getting Stuck
• Kick Start Coaching Program

This episode of The Change Agent’s Dilemma is a replay of that teleclass.

Learn what to watch out for, what not to do, and hear about a great new resource to help you avoid getting stuck (or get unstuck if you are already there).

Listen to the episode here (45 minutes):

Be sure to visit the radio show page to listen to past episodes and subscribe to the show.

What if your initiative were IRRESISTIBLE instead?

As someone whose role is to facilitate change in your organization, your success and the success of your project depends on your ability to avoid, remove, or navigate the obstacles that make change get stuck. Among them are:

• Deeply ingrained habits and mindsets.
• Leaders that don’t actively support change.
• Busy people with different priorities.
• Your limited span of influence.

It’s easy to blame the organization (and the people in it) for making change difficult. But change encounters similar challenges anywhere. Just imagine — if you could make an impact in spite of the overwhelming obstacles, you would be a masterful change agent!

The good news is:  You can be.

After 15 years of organization change experience, first as an internal change agent and then as a coach for others, I have developed a set of practical methods that my clients have used to keep their initiatives moving forward when they otherwise would have been stuck.

Now, I’ve put them all in one toolkit for you to use, so you too can design and influence change that is irresistible:

IRRESISTIBLE The Change Agent’s Guide to DESIGN & INFLUENCE CHANGE Without Getting Stuck

Whether you are just starting on a project or finding yourself stuck in the middle of one, the Irresistible Change Guide works both for planning ahead to avoid obstacles and to overcome challenges when they happen. It’s the combination of design in advance and influence in the moment that makes this change guide unique — and effective.

The Irresistible Change Guide toolkit comes with:

• The Irresistible Change Guide workbook
• More than 20 templates to help you design the elements of change
• PowerPoint and PDF template files you can customize and share
• A half-hour audio interview, “How to Be an Irresistible Change Agent.”
• The one-hour webinar recording, “Design & Influence Irresistible Change.”

The Irresistible Change Guide is the culmination of years of learning and compiling what works and what doesn’t. These tools have already made a difference in many organizations. I can’t wait to hear how they help you make an impact too.

In fact, I’m so confident it will help you, I’m offering a money-back guarantee. If for any reason you are dissatisfied with the Irresistible Change Guide, return the workbook within 30 days to receive a full refund.

May your change initiative and your influence be truly irresistible!

Best wishes,

	Heather Stagl Enclaria LLC

But how do I actually do it?”

If you are a change agent – someone who leads change from within an organization without having authority – then this is a question you are faced with every day. Your challenge is to figure out the actual steps you can personally take to make change happen in your organization.

When you find something that works and facilitate a breakthrough, it’s an amazing feeling, isn’t it? But otherwise, it can seem like a constant uphill battle. It’s easy to get stuck, wondering why what you’re doing isn’t working, lamenting all the resistance you face, and not knowing for sure what to do next.

In 2008, I started Enclaria to help change agents like you make a positive difference in your organization and for the people who work in it. Since then, I have worked with clients in many different roles, projects and organizations. The recurring theme in our coaching sessions and workshops is how organizations, initiatives and change agents get and stay unstuck.

People started asking me if I had a change management kit based on what really works. I loved the idea of providing change agents with more tools to make a difference, but I was somewhat hesitant; I only wanted to create such a kit if it would be straightforward and practical, while still allowing for the complexity inherent in changing an organization. When I started putting the methods and tools together that helped my clients overcome challenges and brought them success, a common framework emerged for how to be an effective change agent.

No, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to implementing change. Organizations, initiatives, and even change agents are too diverse for that. Yet there is a structured yet flexible approach to change that illuminates what you can personally do to implement it effectively. For the first time, that approach is available for you to use on your own.

Introducing

IRRESISTIBLE The Change Agent’s Guide to DESIGN & INFLUENCE CHANGE Without Getting Stuck

The Irresistible Change Guide is a comprehensive kit that provides the steps and tools to plan ahead to reduce obstacles and also deal effectively with inevitable resistance when it happens. That way, your change initiative can continue moving ahead without getting stuck.

Let me answer a few questions for you:

Who is this for?

The methods in this change guide have been used successfully by people in roles as diverse as human resources, organization development, project management, process improvement, IT, strategy management, sustainability and operations. If you are responsible for changing the way other people work without being their boss, then this guide is written especially for you.

What is included?

The Irresistible Change Guide is an entire toolkit, which includes:

• The Irresistible Change Guide workbook binder that walks you through the steps to design and influence your change initiative
• More than 20 templates, assessments, and charts to help you figure out what to do
• A PDF file with the templates so you can print as many copies as you need
• A MS PowerPoint file with select templates you can complete and share with colleagues (also available in Keynote by request)
• The half-hour audio recording, “How to Be an Irresistible Change Agent.”
• The one-hour webinar recording, “Design & Influence Irresistible Change.”

How much is it?

If I were to personally deliver all the content in the Irresistible Change Guide to your organization through workshops and coaching, the grand total would be at least $15,000!

Using the Irresistible Change Guide, you can do it yourself for much less. The regular price is just $249.

The time you will save by using the templates is worth more than the price alone, but the real value of the Irresistible Change Guide is the impact you will make by bringing about results.

What will it help me do?

As a result of completing the Irresistible Change Guide, you will:

• Clarify what really needs to change in your organization to achieve the desired result
• Pinpoint the underlying causes of resistance and determine how to reduce or eliminate them
• Define whose support you need and figure out how to get it
• Figure out which systems, programs and tools will drive the change forward
• Determine the practical steps you can take to shift individuals and groups
• Build your personal influence in your organization.

Check out the sidebar to see what other change agents have said after using just part of the approach in the Irresistible Change Guide.

I am so excited about Irresistible: The Change Agent’s Guide to Design & Influence Change Without Getting Stuck and what it can do for you. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to answer them for you.

Order the Irresistible Change Guide risk-free! If for any reason you are dissatisfied, return the workbook within 30 days to receive a full refund.

May your change initiative and your influence be truly irresistible!

Best wishes,

	Heather Stagl Enclaria LLC

Tune in to hear what to do (and what not to do) when you are new to a team, organization, project, or career and it’s your job to influence change.

Listen to the show here (30 minutes):

Be sure to visit the radio show page to listen to past episodes and subscribe to the show.

The following are four signs your change initiative is stuck:

The Same Meeting Repeats Over and Over

If the agenda for today’s meeting covers the same topics, decisions or task updates as the last several meetings of the same group, because no progress has been made, then your change initiative is probably stuck. Attendees may agree to a path forward or commit to taking action, but after the meeting, nothing happens. They may go their own way instead of staying aligned as agreed. They may neglect to complete their tasks altogether. It won’t be long before people start losing interest because they don’t want to waste their time treading water.

People Maintain Shadow Systems

The change is stuck if people use shadow systems alongside the new way of doing things. The shadow system may be a continuation of the old way, or it may be a new system that is meant to resemble or replace a perceived need the old way filled and the new way does not. These extra processes are called shadow systems because often they happen out of sight, underneath the official procedures. Even if people are using the new system, if they are using shadow systems, the full benefits of the change will most likely not be realized, and there is a possibility that the change will revert back to the old way when the official implementation is over.

The Scope Goes Deeper Than You Thought

Your initiative may get to a point where it bumps up against something that seems immovable. You may discover that in order for your change to go further, more fundamental things need to shift, like culture or values. When you find yourself complaining about the “way things are done around here” that prevent the change from moving forward, most likely the change requires a deeper shift in the organization. If you consider that shift beyond the scope of your project or your influence, your change is stuck within those boundaries.

You Are Frustrated and Ready to Throw in the Towel

It is fairly common as a change agent to feel like you are swimming upstream. When it gets to the point where you are exhausted and frustrated, then chances are you are stuck in a rut – and if you are stuck, then your change is stuck too. You may be watching out for another project or even another organization to jump to for a fresh start. The truth is, changing projects without understanding how this one got stuck may result in a repeat in the next one. Rather than give up, seek a different approach to get both you and your initiative unstuck.

To get unstuck, first acknowledge the fact that you or your change are stuck. Keep an eye out for the things that don’t seem to be working. Learn different approaches that can dislodge the organization from its stuck patterns, and then implement them.

Interested in learning more about designing and influencing change that doesn’t get stuck?
Check out the Irresistible Change Guide.

Find out how change loses traction (and find a way to regain it).

Join me on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. Noon Eastern for a free teleclass!

In this 1-hour conference call, I will share with you the top ways change initiatives get stuck, including what change agents do – or don’t do – that contributes to getting stuck.

Registration is now closed. Interested in other events? Find future events on the Programs & Workshops page.

The following are cultures that can create an extra burden on change:

Everyone For Themselves

In some organizations, it seems that each individual puts his own success over the success of the organization. When people value their own priorities most and act to preserve them, it can be difficult to foster the collaboration and possible self-sacrifice necessary for change.

Decisions by Consensus

The opposite may also be true. Some organizations value the group over individuals. When the culture deems that everyone must agree with a solution before moving forward, change can grind to a halt because decisions are made too slowly to gain any ground.

Failure is Bad

Some organizations seek to assign blame when something fails, instead of looking for the learning opportunity. In such an environment, change can be hindered because people are afraid to take the risk of trying something new. People would rather fail at change than fail because they changed.

When the culture of your organization does not support change, you have a few options. You can work within it, doing your best in spite of it. You can work around it, trying to create a bubble where the culture does not apply. You can work to change it, removing the organizational resistance caused by culture. Or, I suppose another option is that you can work your way out of it, and quit.

What cultures would you add to the list that prevent or hinder change?