CIO OPINION
Many projects fail because businesses underestimate the impact of the inevitable resistance that comes with change . Rather than being pessimistic , this is actually a positive , as it appreciates the major role that resistance itself plays in fuelling innovation . It is being able to recognise that this resistance and fear is actually an invitation into a place of opportunity .
On the other hand , businesses that expect and prepare for it understand that the resistance itself is the fuel of innovation . By driving a culture that encourages vulnerability , change agents can build a constant awareness within an organisation of built-in resistance .
During times of change , we must be prepared to be vulnerable and accept that we may not know exactly how to achieve the desired state but we trust the systems and processes that have been put in place and have a willingness to learn .
Similarly , this awareness means that if we encounter something akin to a road hazard or bottleneck , we need to be agile enough to find another route . Indeed , there will be times where the path has not yet been charted , and in those times we must build the new route on the go – yet never lose sight of the GPS pointing us towards where we need to be .
It is the difference between having someone walk into a room believing they know all the answers – that they are instant experts – and someone who has the confidence to admit that they do not know the answers , but have faith in their people and process to get them to the destination . This awareness becomes the spark that ignites the fuel of innovation .
If I turn the lens inwards on my own career trajectory , where I have spent the majority of my career in delivery before transitioning to sales , it would be foolish for myself or anyone in my team to succumb to the pressure of needing to be instant experts .
This is true when engaging in new technologies , just as it is true when we take on new roles and challenges .
The reality is that there are changes that organisations know they want to implement , but there are always unintended changes that will have an impact on what they want to accomplish . This is where change agents have a role to play on this
On the other hand , businesses that expect and prepare for it understand that the resistance itself is the fuel of innovation .
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