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Building Commitment During Change

Because it matters

While developing change initiatives, a big question that we need to ask our selves is how will we address the question of "what is in it for me"? from the participants'.  

People do have passion to do great, but it is not always helping the organisation reach its goal. What people really have passion about is the quality of their own lives. By helping individuals see the direct personal benefits of the change initiative, provides a reinforcing energy for people to participate in the change. 

Howeve a long stading assumption that we are resouces first and humans next make sustaing change difficult. in the corporate world take the example of  the word Human Resources, The very word means that people standing in reserve. However when we aim for a large system change, the focus needs not on treating humans as resources but rather in harnessing the commitment, energy and excitement of organisational members. This commitment will naturally increase when people see their personal results from a change initiative; this in turn reinforces their investment and leads to further learning. If this reinforcing loop is not activated, a significant force for building momentum is lost and that is why most change initiatives fail to activate the necessary results, since they do not allow for learning to happen.

Hoever there are also challeges from enhanced personal results. First, comitmed  people differ from compliant people, they have their own ideas, passions, and this can be scary for bosses. Secondly as personal commitment increses, so too must the ability to set boundaries and make good choices. For example, a highly commitmed workplace can turn bad if ambitious people work so hard that they ignore health and well being. Lastly the larger organisation doesn't change because individuals in the change group are now behaving differently. Many a times these personal changes ( like being more enthusiastic) are not viewed as legitimate in the larger organisation and hence may not be discussed, undermining the entire change process

Thus for change to take place it is important that we look at what can be the personal learning and benefits that people can take out of it. This will serve as an important piece of energizer for the entire team and its people ,who after seeing their personal success in the change will participate in the chage more enthusiastically.

As system interventionists, it is important that we look at people in organisations as humans first and see how we can meet some of their most important needs, and then go on to plan and implement change initiatives.

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