Ducks in a Row: What Impedes Change?
by Miki Saxon
It’s almost 2014; a clean slate to do great stuff—but is it really?
Four years ago I identified one reason that change is so difficult, especially when it comes to tweaking/changing culture.
That reason is still with us and is just as much of a problem now as it was then, which means my post is as valid now as it was in 2009.
So, in the interests of a great 2014, here is a little bit of guidance on moving those changes along.
Ducks in a Row: Eliminating Cultural Stuff
I read a fascinating article today about Americans, their stuff and their penchant for storing it instead of getting rid of it.
“The US has 2.3 billion square feet of self-storage space. (The Self Storage Association notes that, with more than seven square feet for every man, woman and child, it’s now “physically possible that every American could stand — all at the same time — under the total canopy of self-storage roofing. …one out of every 10 households in the country rents a unit…”
According to Derek Naylor, president of the consultant group Storage Marketing Solutions, “Human laziness has always been a big friend of self-storage operators, because once they’re in, nobody likes to spend all day moving their stuff out of storage. As long as they can afford it, and feel psychologically that they can afford it, they’ll leave that stuff in there forever.”
I’ve said for years that people aren’t water faucets, able to turn off emotions and thoughts or change their MAP just because they change environments from home to work or vice versa.
Reading the article made me realize a hidden reason that makes changing culture so difficult.
It’s not just that the parts of the culture changes, but that the employees won’t let go of the parts that are changing or being replaced; instead they store them away to sort later.
But later never comes, so, like the stuff in the storage units, it sits in the back of their minds running up a bill that is paid in energy, focus and productivity.
As a result of the economy, many of the thousands of storage units that were in use for no other reason than laziness are being cleared out, or at least downsized, and the stuff gotten rid of.
Perhaps this is a good time to work with your employees to clean out their mental storage places; to purge the cultural residue and clutter that fills them up.
So clear out the rubbish, open the windows and let the fresh air flow through reenergizing everyone.
I’m not saying that change is easy, but I hope this bit of insight will help you fulfill your 2014 vision.
Flickr image credit: Guy Renard
