Why Is Change So Hard?

Change is a fact of life in the technology field.  That's one thing that makes it so exciting.  So why can it be so hard for us humans to deal with change, even those of us in IT?  Here are a few thoughts that often seem to impede my ability to cope with change, along with some strategies for overcoming them.

Thought:  If someone is asking me to change, it must mean that I'm not okay now.
Response:  You are okay now, but maybe you can be better.
Example:  If I learn a new skill and apply it, then I might able to accomplish new things.

Thought:  This change is interfering with my productivity.
Response:  Sometimes you have to slow down in order to go faster.
Example:  Whenever I get a new computer, it takes me days of loading software, moving files, and configuring my new computer in order to get back to where I was with the old one.  But a few days after that, I can be even more productive with new tools and a faster machine.

Thought:  I'm too tired of change to change anymore.  I have change fatigue.
Response:  Hang in there.  Pretty soon you will adapt to the change, and you may find some exciting results.
Example:  Recently we have had a great deal of turnover in administrators at my level and above.  It was tiring to learn all the new players, build all new relationships, and figure out how things work in this new environment.  But now I have so many new friends and colleagues.

Thought:  What if my new boss doesn't like me?
Response:  What if she does?
Example:  If you get a new boss, this is your big chance to practice your relationship-building skills.  You will work best with your new boss if you take time to figure out how you can best work together.

Thought:  Things are just fine the way they are now. 
Response:  Humans are infinitely creative and adaptable.  Change brings progress.
Example:  Imagine where we would be if the great inventors in the world decided things were just fine without their inventions.

If you are feeling some change fatigue, take a deep breath and hold on.  You will get used to it, and the possibilities for improvement are awesome.  Celebrate the creativity and advancement of human civilization.

Different Styles of Leadership

This week I read an interesting article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, "Seeking a Different Sort of Leader" by Dennis M. Barden.  This article focuses on the different leadership styles between presidents and provosts.  It contrasts the more traditional consultative type of academic leadership with "an expressed willingness—backed up by evidence of performance—to make the tough decisions and to live with the consequences."  As with many articles published in the Chronicle, it is at least as interesting to read the comments as it is to read the article.

This may not seem to have much to do with leadership of technology units, but it does describe a dilemma faced by leaders at most any level:  how much effort do I put into bringing a group of strongly differing views into consensus?  At what point do I call a halt to the discussion, make a decision, and live with the consequences?  And what do staff make of this when I do?  I'd like to hope that at least some of them are grateful to be done with the discussion and able to move onto making something happen.  But sometimes the discussion can take on a life of its own, and it seems as though it could go on forever.  And certainly if a decision goes against the express wishes of an individual or faction in the group, it can lead to some level of disgruntlement.  Nevertheless, if you, as leader, are never willing to move forward without everyone on board, then you can find yourself and your group stuck in limbo.  In technology, perhaps more than in any other enterprise, moving forward is critical.  Technology moves too quickly for us to get stuck dickering over six different ways to solve a problem.

Leaders need to help groups make decisions.  It is good when they can reach a good decisions through consensus. But sometimes they just need to make the tough decisions and move on.

I'm looking forward to being on vacation next week, so watch for my next blog post in two weeks.

The Value of Candor

This week I reread "Candor, Criticism, and Teamwork," by Keith Ferrazzi in the Harvard Business Review.  Candor and criticism can often be difficult for those of us in Minnesota, who are both blessed and plagued with "Minnesota Nice." This author makes a strong case for the value of candor and criticism in building strong teams and getting to the best solution.  And I'll add a promotion for diplomacy:  if you are going to express yourself with candor, especially if it criticism, you can take some of the sting out of it by speaking with diplomacy.  Just be sure that you are not so diplomatic that your message gets lost.

Mr. Ferrazzi offers some concrete suggestions for how to encourage candor and criticism, and I'll let you read those in his article.  My favorite quote comes at the end, though, and I will repeat that here:

True collaboration is impossible when people don’t trust one another to speak with candor. Solving problems requires that team members be unafraid to ask questions or propose wrong answers. Risk management is another area that relies almost completely on people’s admitting their mistakes. It takes work to create a candid environment supported by respectful, honest relationships, but it’s a challenge every leader should embrace. 

We all want to do a great job, but what I learned from this article is that you can't do your best, and your team can't do its best, if you aren't willing to express yourself with candor.  Practice your candor with diplomacy and you will enhance your leadership skills.

The Power of Relationships

On Wednesday, February 27, UMD hosted part of the IT@UM Community Event.  We were very pleased to have VPCIO Scott Studham, ACIO Brittany Lloyd, Enterprise Architect Patton Fast, Senior Operations Manager Jim Nolan, and Organizational Effectiveness Consultant Jen Mein join us from the Twin Cities campus.  I especially thank Jen Mein for the extra work she did in planning this event.

This event gave us an opportunity to get to know IT professionals from across UMD.  Here's a comment from Justin Keppers, one of the participants:

"Wednesday's meeting with UMD IT folk was great. I got quite a bit out of it, including getting a few ideas for new projects that can help out others as well as just getting to know people better. I'd really enjoy it if we could hold a similar meeting on a regular basis, be it quarterly or semi-annually. The interaction with others outside of my usual groups in this kind of setting is very valuable."

 Over the past several years, I have gained a tremendous respect for the power of relationships in getting work done.  Some may have stayed away from the event Wednesday, thinking they had too much work to do or that the event was somehow frivolous.  But as the quote above testifies, you can get much more work done, and more effectively, if you take the time to build relationships with the people you need to collaborate with.

In order to influence others, you must first have a relationship with them, hopefully a good relationship.  To be a leader, spend time building relationships.