The Power of Environment
As I mentioned, it's time for a different change management conversation. It's why I love Prophet and our ethos (Nov 2 Post). That's a Prophet saying (full attribution) that existed before I arrived, but which I co-sign completely.
So if we need to change the people in order to change the business, where do you start? It's simple. Change the environment. Environment has an outsized impact on our ability to change. COVID taught us that. For example, adoption of virtual collaboration tools increased 44% since the pandemic began.* We could not meet in person, so people were forced to use new tools.
What does this mean for companies?
One, limit alternative options. Make the new environment as defined as possible. For example, If you want your employees to use a new cloud system, but allow parallel use of spreadsheets, people will not adapt.
Two, stack positive reinforcements in the new environment. Free lunch at high-tech companies is a well-known example. In the new return-to-office debate, this is no longer as enticing.
Three, spend less time communicating to employees BEFORE changing the environment and more time supporting them AFTER. Many companies get this wrong. We spend too much time measuring readiness (more on that in another post) and sending communications. It doesn't work. Instead, create a support infrastructure that employees can access once the environment has changed. If they can't go back to the old way, we owe them as much support as possible in the new way.
For more reading on the importance environment, here's a great article from James Clear:
