Julian Bucknall got crabby today. At his job, he's in a situation where he's trying to make some changes to the software development practices. And he's finding it to be frustrating.
That doesn't surprise me, because cultural change is difficult. Unless there's a mandate from the leadership, most people will do what they've always done. They'll make changes when it feels good or comfortable. I'm that way.
I've never been in Julian's position per se, but I have tried to make changes in previous jobs and encountered resistance. Maybe it was because my ideas were stupid or because I was a jerk. I dunno.
Regardless, two principle that I find workable are:
- Avoid the perception of grand, sweeping change. A change may not be grand or sweeping, but somebody might perceive it that way.
- Look for a small change that people would accept.
Why look for a small change?
It's digestable. And if that change is successful and received well, it can be followed up with another small change. The domino effect can take over, although the dominos might fall over the span of months. Open the door an inch and, eventually, you'll be able to open it a foot.
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Sean Winstead
Tags: Life, ProblemSolving