Why Is It So Difficult To Change?...

"If you understand the 'what' and believe strongly enough in the 'why,' then you'll find a 'how'." ~ Organizational Learning Center

Change is difficult because it results in a different world view.  The larger the change, the greater the potential conflict between those who defend the ways of the past and those who advocate the change. Those who risk to think and act differently from the established view often invite the anger and aggression of those who don't.

Lessons from History

We have an abundance of examples from history where people have resolved or failed to resolve conflicts associated with their different world views. Examples include religious wars, such as those between Protestants and Catholics or between Jews and Arabs, political conflicts between right and left or between dictators and subjects, economic- based conflicts between the "haves" and "have-nots" or between management and labor, and intellectual conflicts between the established theory and new theories.

The Challenge to Change

The answer to the question, "why is it so difficult to change?" lies in fact that change challenges the world view (constructs) which give both groups and individuals identity and value in their world. It is appropriate that people are unwilling to surrender something that has taken so long to build and has endured, and thus passes the time, to something which is not proven or demonstrated to be of value in the world. Theory is one thing; demonstrated practice is another.

It is particularly difficult for organizational leaders to change themselves, because they have their identities and sense of security invested in the established way of operation. The fear of the uncertainties of change, the lack of the competencies needed to function in a changed world, and the challenges of the constructs upon which they base their lives, deters many leaders from embracing change.  However, a failure to change in a continually changing world is a recipe for increasing stress and eventual extinction. This is the challenge of life. We are all challenged not to merely exist, but rather to live. Truly living involves learning and becoming, taking the risks to explore uncharted territories, and continually embracing the new opportunities that await us.

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