Change Management

I've been dealing alot with "change management" lately. My company recently merged with a competitor and it's causing a culture clash of a magnificent nature. Lots of ruffled feathers, lots of stress and anxiety, hard to get things done. All the things people tend to love about work.

The first thing I did when I knew this was coming was to talk to the man whose job I shared. He was moving to a new position and I would be taking our position for both of us in the new company. One of the things he recommended I do is read "Who Moved My Cheese." I did. It's silly but makes a point. What I find funny is that all the things he promoted to me by asking me to read the book are all things he is doing the opposite of. He's the mouse continually going to where the cheese used to be, hoping it will return, refusing to try new things and look for new cheese.



I know in many ways we all tend to live in the past. I know that there are time and moments in my life where I wish I could live in the past in my own life. I'd like to push the ole pause button at several points in my life and just remain right there in that moment forever. But we can't do that. Pushing pause isn't an option. Pushing pause is impossible. It's a fallacy that we can push pause and things will just remain the same when we come back. Life moves on regardless of our desire to remain in one moment.



I like to think a hallmark of my working life is that I'm an innovator. I am definitely not a craftsman. . . I don't have the patience. I'm not an intellectual . . . again, that patience thing. I am an innovator. I will use technology or new processes or anything to make life easier for me and those around me. I am finding that many of the people in this organization we have merged with are content and happy just to have things remain the way they've been for ages.



One of my favorite classes in graduate school was "Organizational Behavior." I believe I loved it not only because the professor was engaging and compelling, but the subject matter was one that I had never considered before and found intriguing. This merger of our two companies would be a wonderful paper for an Organizational Behavior thesis. There are so many political positions and cultural differences all clashing at the same time. Fun stuff unless you have to live through it.



Finally, the reason for all of this today goes back to themes. Yesterday I wrote about the theme of addiction that cropped up in my latest draft novel. Now that I'm working on "Kenyan Night Sky" (working title) I'm looking for a theme or themes there. Maybe change and living in the past would make a good one and help me navigate the changes taking place in my life.