Why Change Readiness Matters

Why does change readiness matter, and why should it matter to you? Here are 4 reasons.

1. The question is not whether you will change – the question is how likely are you to succeed, and how much will success cost you? Whether as individuals or organisations, we cannot avoid change. We can complain about it and resist, but we cannot avoid it. The problem is, most people and most organisations aren’t good at change. According to the oft-quoted statistic, only 30% of organisations are likely to change successfully. According to other research, around 30% of organisations suffer long-term damage because of failed change efforts. Individuals don’t fare any better either – there’s lots of research to back this up. So, on average, change is not likely to be successful and it will probably take longer than you expect and cost more than you hope. That’s not pessimism; it’s being realistic.
2. Individuals and organisations that are ready for change are more likely to succeed than those that aren’t. This one is just common sense, and it’s also supported by evidence. According to research published in 2015 by Optus, organisations high on change readiness outperformed those low on change readiness by more than double. If your change readiness is low, not only are you more likely to fail, it will also cost you more to fail than to succeed. Who wants that?
3. The difficulty and cost of change increases as change readiness decreases. This one is also logical – change is more difficult when you’re not ready for it. It is more disruptive, it creates more pain and anxiety, and it negatively affects people’s performance.
4. Change readiness has two dimensions – a management dimension and a psychological dimension – and you must successfully address both. If you don’t do it right, your best people might leave. Sounds dramatic, but it happens.

These are the change readiness facts, and they apply both to individuals and organisations all around the world. Change readiness is what The Change Gym specialises in. We work with clients to bring the latest knowledge and best research so change readiness is developed in the right way, to the right people, to meet the right needs. Click on the button below to arrange a time to discuss your needs.