Change is complex

We have all heard the adage that 90% of change projects fail.

That's probably because change is hard, but it's also largely misunderstood and many critical features of it are ignored - because they're hard! We don't like to do the difficult, especially if we're told there's an easy. But, in change, there is no easy.

Change, of course, has certain features
-It's emergent and constant
-It's non-linear and undergoes phase transitions
-It's input magnitude indifferent [small inputs can result in large changes]

All these are largely ignored in all the change projects I've touched, either within an organisation, or as a consultant - and this is a problem - because these elements lead to change being both unpredictable and uncontrollable. Of course, this is understood by some, as all organisations are complex systems and so have these traits as inherent.

What does work?

1. Seek to understand the system you are endeavouring to change
2. Seek to discern the interrelationships and interdependencies in the system
3. Seek out key individuals/teams/groups and processes/systems/frameworks in the system that are the most influential on the system
4. Try different small inputs to influence the system - and at the same time utilising a measurement tool sensitive enough to pick up on changes in the system

...repeat, review, repeat...