Good change projects are not reflected in the result

Edgar Rodehack refers to an article in "Neue Narrative" that deals with the topic of mindset in an organization in the context of change. Rodehack found the article in question good and inspiring, but could not come to terms with the idea that an organization is like a machine where various buttons can be pushed that will then enable change in a certain direction. Of course, this is not so and even the authors of the best articles on change management can only touch on such a complex topic in a magazine article. Much has to be simplified and a process that takes a year is described in a short paragraph. One gets the impression that change can be implemented in a simple way, at the push of a button and according to a patent recipe. That is certainly not the case. Not for nothing do countless experts deal with the topic of change.
 
Rodehack emphasizes that, in his eyes, this mechanical view obscures the view of the whole, of what is essential. He pleads for less concern with recipes and methods and more focus on what is really important and what can really be influenced. What counts is what comes out in the end. In other words, the result. But is that really the case? In the case of a bakery, you could certainly put it that way. If the bread that comes out in the end doesn't taste good, the best process is simply not good enough. Edgar Rodehack raises the question of whether, in change management, the journey might not be the destination. Is it about the result or is it about how things are done? It's probably a mixture of both. It's hard to imagine change agents, change coaches, organizational consultants, and team developers actually measuring their success by how much they've been able to change the mindset of an entire organization. You want to change the mindset of 7,000 people, you ended up reaching 3,500 people. Was your project only 50% successful? Probably not. The difficult thing is that we as humans always tend to focus primarily on the result and evaluate things only according to that. So it takes a certain mindset to work purposefully and consciously on something completely different than the result in this performance-oriented world. We have learned that performance can only be seen in a good result. Change agents have to say goodbye to that.

If you always focus on the result, you miss a lot. This is especially true if the result only becomes apparent after many years or perhaps never fully materializes. It is always a long road to implement a change. Sure, they can purchase a new computer program, show it to everyone, and then have everyone work with it. Something has changed. But a mindset just can't be bought. Nothing is as difficult to change as people's habits. And that includes this orientation to success, to the bottom line. Decades often pass before even the last head in the company really understands that change is necessary. Are you more the type to be deterred or motivated by big tasks? Change management is always a big task. Here Edgar Rodehack gives an important tip: Try to see the goal as secondary for the time being. It is a good point of orientation, but should definitely not be the focus of all efforts. Sounds absurd? Yes. It takes some practice and a little acrobatics in one's attitude to tackle a mammoth task in our performance-oriented working world without focusing (initially) on its outcome.