Business Transformation (Really?)

Business transformation!

If there is ever a phrase to inspire confidence to shareholders and owners alike then this must be the phrase of the century. A new form of “change management” in disguise.

The reality may be somewhat less inspiring with many transformational and change programmes falling woefully low on the expectation front leading to many well-intentioned CEO’s being shown the door. Well, I suppose that’s change in itself but not what was expected. A bit like screwing a screw fastener into the wall and turning the wall instead of the screw.

So, what’s behind the high percentage failures of such well-meaning initiatives? As stated by Forbes, in one of their most recent studies “landmark Leadership IQ study, Why CEOs Get Fired” the findings were suggested to be found in four key areas with the number one by a margin, being “poor change management process” and the lack of “subconscious psychological change processes”. In other words, understanding and adopting the psychology of change for real and meaningful results.

Sounds simple however when leadership and change management skills are predominately taught in a conscious format dating back from experiential learning many moons ago, it’s no wonder that change or transformation becomes rather elusive to most CEO’s and companies.

So, if we accept that change is an abnormal process for most individuals. The frontal lobe is predominately designed to resist change at all costs and this part of our brain capable of providing a well-trodden thought process which because of the speed of the programme we actually believe it’s the very best solution available. I believe this is called Para logistical thinking, the art of flawed logic.

A little like the Amygdala (fight and flight process) which fires automatically before you are even aware. In other words, if we expect change from a part of our brain which predominately is designed for recall of behaviours and actions as part of its purpose, we might also expect to continue turning the wall to screw in the fixing because that’s what it believes and so do you! Remember whatever you believe, you are right!

Is it fear of the unknown, lack of vulnerability or just not invented here syndrome that stops people reaching out to learn and discover the most advanced methods of change management, or is it, that we are hijacked by our Neo-Cortex and cannot believe that we are wrong until that inevitable day?

Can we learn to decoy our frontal lobe and access our own AI Cerebellum to make change really work? I doubt that most have the curiosity due to embedded thinking and experiential learning.

There is one parting thought, that of the fact that infants haven’t developed their Neo-Cortex until around age six, thereby learning new thinking/walking skills without fear or pre-programming, otherwise if taught by their parents would possibly take up to seven years to master the art of walking. Now that’s lucky!

If you are interested in hearing/learning more then please reach out. All we have to do is get out of our own way.