- When they hurt enough they have to
- When they see enough they are inspired to
- When they learn enough that they want to
- When they receive enough that they are able to
Dr John c Maxwell
People change. It’s inevitable, and it happens to us all. Whether we’re talking about how we grow, how we deal with problems, or what we think about the world around us; change is everywhere. This applies to changing work practices, tools and processes too.
Organizations must take this into account when implementing change, in order for the change to be successful.
Apply this to organizational change management
You’ve probably heard about the concept of change management. We all know what it means, but many of us don’t realize its true meaning.
When we talk about change management in technical documentation, we are also talking about helping people adapt to change. Few things are more disruptive than implementing a system that also enforces a behavioral change. A change that forces individuals to become components of a larger unit.
People change when they hurt enough to have to…
When someone hurts enough, they have to change. They can choose to change or not. If they don’t change, their choice will be taken away from them and they may be forced to change by the consequences of their actions.
In the technical documentation life-cycle, this hurt could be the nth FrameMaker publication that took 4 hours and immobilized their PC during the process. Or it could be having spotted that error that was corrected in 99 out of the 100 places it was meant to have been done.
People change when they see enough, they are inspired to…
- learn more
- take action
- make the change
- and eventually help others to make the same change
As structured writing gained prominence and more organizations implement standards such as DITA, they can see successful implementations and the benefits they bring to the organization in terms of cost savings and increased productivity.
People change when they learn enough, they want to…
- …be better. They want to be at the top of their game, or at least be on their way there.
- …be more successful. They want to see their organizations succeed, and they want to be a part of that. …do better work. They want their writing to be better, more accurate and more consistent. They want it to communicate effectively so that it’s clear what they mean and easy for others to understand.
People change when they receive enough, they are able to…
When you give people enough, they are able to see what is possible. This applies to information about the benefits the change will bring. It applies to information about how the change will impact their jobs. It applies to information about how the change will influence their daily work. When people see what is possible, they are able to envision themselves doing it. They can picture themselves as a part of the solution rather than stuck in the problem.
Conclusion
People change when they have to, see something they need to do differently, learn something new and/or receive enough support from others. They are not perfect but we can help them be better versions of themselves.
Read more Componize articles
Read more on Change management, risk management and reporting – answers to those burning issues.
You can also watch the panel discussion recorded at the Componize Summit, Val Swisher, David Turner, Robert Johnson, and Kurt Keyser join me to discuss managing change.
