The Shredder

Struggling with change? Having difficulties changing your corporate culture? Challenges with sustaining momentum on new behaviors you, or your team, are trying to adopt? Try this amazing device called the “Shredder” and it shall get you through ..

Burn the boats!

It was common in the old days that leaders, especially the Greek, used to burn or sink the boats once they lead their troops to a new invasion or war. It was a signal of “The point of no return” to their troops. We will not leave this land before we achieve what we came for .. no way out!

The challenge with the majority of leaders, or organizations seeking change today is that they don’t burn the boats .. they take change easier than it should ..

Let’s look at some of the most common change theories in the world .. for example, Lewin’s change model:

To apply this model, leaders have to “unfreeze” their organizations .. What do you need to unfreeze something? Heat .. right? So why do we take change easy?

If there aren’t good reasons for change, people will not change, but moreover, if there isn’t enough pressure, heat and urgency for change, people will tend to agree on the change, but will delay the change and stay complacent in their comfort zones, and this is even more dangerous than resisting change from the first place, as it gives false movements without real change effect.

The recycle equation

The basic transformation equation for every recycle activity will involve destroying the old material, and then reshaping, restructuring or reformatting it into a completely new product. The same applies to organizational and self change .. We need to burn … to shred the old and build the new.

So what do we need to destroy? .. Here are some examples:

1. Old memories that bring negative vibes .. shred the pictures, delete the memory cards.
2. Colleagues who bring the worse in us .. the ones who provide negativity more than encouragement and support .. shred the contacts, delete the numbers.
3. Physical stuff that remind us of old culture, bad behavior .. Shred the furniture, the office, the clothes and whatever reminds you of the old status .. change offices, decorations, uniform, brand, logo ..etc .. start fresh!

Create an icon

Every successful leader who has created change, managed to build an icon. Look at the Pharaohs, the Greek, the Roman, … look at successful organizations and how they managed to build “brands” .. It’s all about icons ..

Once you destroy the old .. people will be in a state of hesitation .. where do we go? How do we feel secure? .. Leaders then need to immediately build the new icon, the new symbol of new culture, which will then drive the new sense of belonging to the new organization, and will drive building a new self identity.

The challenge I have seen with most organizations trying to change is basically due to 3 main reasons:

1. Not taking change serious enough .. No “Fire” in the house!
2. Having the wrong leaders on board.
3. Failure, or confusion in building the new icon.

Today, change is inevitable, and occurring faster than what the majority of organizations and individuals have planned .. surviving this change requires clarity towards the future vision .. People need to pack, and they need to pack very fast .. ask yourself key questions:

1. Where do I want to go? (Direction)
2. What do I need to pack? (Essential load)
3. What do I need to shred? (Decrease my unnecessary load)

Once you are clear on the above .. MOVE! MOVE with passion and full power .. the gravity towards the comfort zone is going to be very strong in the beginning .. fight this gravity back, burn the boats, push yourself .. squeeze for a better tomorrow ..

Written by:

Engagement Expert, International Speaker & Pragmatic researcher