John posted an interesting question on LinkedIn:
CHANGE MANAGEMENT: Is happiness our ultimate goal?
When we participate in change management, I would assume that we want the outcome to be happy. But what do we mean. Please comment on whether one or more of the possible meanings of happiness listed below is the ultimate goal you seek when managing change.
A. Wealth
B. Honors
C. Fame
D. Power
E. Health
F. Pleasure
G. Goodness
H. A living being
I. Other (please explain)
Thanks in advance for participating. John Darrouzet
Many of the respondents said that Change Management is NOT ABOUT HAPINESS. I object. This is what I responded:
Hi John,
what a good question! I would like to be more philosophical about it. What kind of happiness people expect from change management depends... Let us for the sake of the exercise analyze different groups who are involved in change initiatives:
a) Top Management (for the sake of simplicity, let us call them the owners of the change initiative): they certainly look for fame and for wealth in getting a siginficant change done. Ultimately, they might be interested in increasing their pleasure (buying a new Ferrari, chilling out in a Tuscany winery, etc.). In the end, they really believe that tehy can make things better (although often they make things worse).
b) Middle Management (the implementors): they want just release from the pain - "getting through it". Money is not their motivator for engaging in change - they know there are better ways of making money - producing goods, serving the customer, etc.
c) Those who suffer (the front line): Few of them (10-20%) enjoy new experiences, learning, new horizons (adventure? happiness?). The rest enjoy being in a community of people who have done things the same way for 20 years.
d) Consultants: satisfaction and fame - moving things, intervening into systems that have a size are way beyond their imagination. Pleasure, at the end. I wouldn't do my job for money alone - again, there are better ways to have a good life.
So, good question, indeed. I would like to ask the other respondends to this question: for more efficiency, competitiveness, etc. - would you sacrifice your or others' happiness? See - change is ultimately about optimizing happiness for all. That tends to get forgotten - and this is why most change initiatives go sour. I once wrote about a UK company for which hapiness for all is a top factor. They are successful.