The Difference Between Fixing a Problem and Real Change Management

By David Nour

There is a clear distinction between problem solving and real change management. Problem solving is fixing things. As you can see in the diagram to the right, if you start with the status quo, something happens to create a less-than-desired state. When you fix that issue and return the situation back to its previous status quo state, you’ve resolved the problem. Fix it a little better and you have resolution plus.

Conversely, as you can see in the diagram to the left, in real change management, if you start with the same status quo, a pulse point of change elevates the situation/the expected norm to a new height of performance, expectations, execution, or results. If you develop a culture that constantly creates these pulse points, now you have constantly enhanced positions—you’re constantly raising the bar on your own as well as the team’s or organization’s growth.

A component that is critical to driving everything from process optimization to altering the mind-set of the people whom the change will surely affect is the team of employees chartered to help the organization navigate through this often challenging journey.

These change agents are leaders in their organizations, free of hierarchical bondage, and are often able to move across a multitude of departments, business units, and divisions in search of simpler processes. They are highly motivated and well-trained employees and absolutely key to implementing better procedures for the maximum output from any organizational investment in limited resources.