Over 2,500 years ago, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus commented that the only constant is change. Today, change is only different in that there is more of it. There are technological changes like new equipment and processes. Nontechnological changes include new government regulations and market changes. Changes internal to the organization include budget adjustments, new methods and policies, and reorganizations.
For your organization to make the most of its opportunities or defend itself against threats, it must be adaptable. For you to operate successfully in such a work environment, you, too, must adapt rapidly. Even more important, you need to recognize the need for change within your own operation and initiate it. This is where your ability as a leader is crucial.
You need to be a driver of change. This means that you must ensure not only that changes either you or senior management demand are made, but also that ideas from staff members are implemented if they will improve operations. After all, there is no single right or better way. Change management is about identifying and implementing a better way to do a job, then identifying and implementing a still better one, and so forth.
In this respect, the goal of change management is continuous improvement. This is not so say that making change won’t be a tremendous challenge, because the natural response to change is resistance. Some people equate change to stepping off a steep cliff into a deep chasm.