Introduction

Ingredient 1 is about preparing people for change and timing is important, ie are the people ready and adequately prepared for the change?

. It is important to lay the foundations correctly, ie

"...you need to focus primarily on getting the initial condition right. If you start from a good place, then the choices that lead to success will look like the right choices..."

Clayton Christensen et al, 2003

. Change is a personal journey, ie it is about people.

"...Changing organisations begins with changing people and changing people requires personal awareness..."

Robert Kregel et al, 1996

"...Nothing changes without personal transformation..."

Edward Deming in Senge et al, 1999

"...Enabling executives, managers, and employees to shift long-held behavioural patterns is an intense and complex task. And most organisations avoid or ignore it..."

Joan Goldsmith as quoted by Robert Kregel et al, 1996

"...Companies making wholesale changes without addressing the complex system of thoughts, feelings and wishes that constitute a human being are going to end up with a lot of heel dragging and sabotage..."

Robert Kregel et al, 1996

A good example of this is introducing and integrating a new computer system where both the hardware and software works, but systems won't work unless the people who operate them, use them co-operatively

. Need to understand:

"...that in any change process there is a need to address the complex system of thoughts, feelings and wishes that constitutes a human being..."

Robert Kregel et al, 1996

. Part of this ingredient involves understanding a behaviour audit trail, ie look at an organisation's values and then follow through by asking

- How do we pay, appraise and induct people?

- Is it in accordance with the organisation's values?

- What's the organisation's culture?

- Who gets on around here?

(source: Tracey Evans, 2002)

. Throughout there is the "grieving process" of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance to be taken into account. This grief is associated with the loss of something you value, such as when facing death of a close relative and/or friend, or losing a valuable possession, work process, etc

. Technically-orientated organisations and people may find this stage difficult as they may not be trained or experienced in displaying and/or handling feelings and/or "non-rational" thought processes