POWER OF INTENTIONALITY IN CHANGE

Larry the Cable Guy was a popular comedian here in the US. His response to every problem was, “Git ‘r done.” Larry’s motto made for good humor and a reminder that action is needed to get anything done. And, like everything else, the idea has its limits. One thing I’ve experienced in many trainings is the desire to just get through an activity. It’s as if the activity magically imparts change, skill, and a great outcome just by going through the motions. In organizational change, man seem to think that a lot of activity and effort will create the desired impact.

I’ve had some time to think about this as I’m wrapping up a large organizational change project. A government agency of around 10,000 people in over thirty locations had to comply with the requirements of new and sweeping legislation. They began to write policy, develop training, design new software, and deploy information and instructions to the front-line workers.