Champions of Change Management... The lighter side of Change Management 08-23

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Added on 19-10-2018

Change Management is a topic that is taught to the students of MBA, Engineering and other graduation courses. Students learn with interest Change Management only to forget it immediately after the completion of their course.

Demonetisation in India taught the Indians a totally different kind of change management. Rs.2,000 denomination notes were introduced, but you couldn't use the note unless you purchased something worth that amount. New Rs. 500 notes had not been introduced and Rs. 100 notes had gone scarce. Two years later, although India has recovered from the trauma, indelible scars are still visible.

However, this article is not about Demonetisation, and was written much earlier. It is about a different kind of Change Management. Now the article...

There are some champions of Change Management who not only learn change management through their profession, but implement it throughout their life time. And surprisingly they are neither students nor the management professionals.They are not  even entrepreneurs.

I interviewed the following people (just imagination) and lo!!! I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and quantity of the output.

Bus Conductor / Operator

A Housewife

A Beggar

Let us conduct an imaginary interview with them and find out from them their expert view on change management. Let us imagine what each one of them say about change management. 

We start with the Bus Conductor....

Bus conductor

"Oh yes, Change Management is a great art which you master it with experience." 

"There are lot of factors involved in it. You need to be very careful and balance every step.

You should master the art of correct balance between taking and giving change. If you give too much of the change too liberally and too frequently, you are not left with any no change when you have to give change to the genuine passengers.

Yes there are genuine passengers and not so genuine passengers, who would have change but pretend that they don't have it. You need to distinguish and discern between the two. These things of course come with experience. Change Management as I told you is a tough challenge for us. That is why even Mahatma Gandhi stressed the importance of change when he said.." 

"KEEP THE CHANGE YOU EXPECT FROM OTHERS."

I was shocked. I never thought Mahatma Gandhi could be so grossly misinterpreted. We have often seen politicians doing it, but a bus conducter, well! it was unimaginable.. He however he was happy,that he had presented himself as an intelligent being. Few other conducters who had gathered around us and were listening to our conversation nodded their head in appreciation.


"But you also have problems when you don't give the change to the commuters. Your bag becomes heavy and messy and the biggest problem is, when you deposit the cash at the office, the staff wouldn't take change, they insist on larger denomination currency."

"So as I said, Change Management is a delicate art and you learn it by experience." he concluded.

I thought that it was much more than what I could take, so I thanked him and excused myself.

Next we move to the most important net-worker between the religions and the great evaluator of the changes in the society "The Beggar"

The Beggar 

I went to a place of worship and selected a senior graying begging professional and told the purpose the of my visit. He not only understood Change Management, but also agreed to share his perspective on the subject.

Let us hear him.

"Change Management is an important aspect of our profession. We are the champions of Change Management. We can monitor and evaluate the change in the society better than what anyone else can do and we can also advice on the ways to channelize this  positive change for the betterment and upliftment of the society.  " 

"Can you please enlighten me on that" I asked with a pretended humility.

"Yes why not" he said and added "You know that I am a senior begging professional, my charges will be higher for this management information, can you afford it?" “Yes" I said and settled the price.

He started in a very calm and confident manner with a saintly expression.

We have found a very positive change in society, more specifically in the youth in the recent times. Since our professional work takes us to the places of worship of all religions, we keenly observe the changes in thinking and the attitude of the people of different religions. Among men, among women and among the youth."

"From the amount and type of collection, we can even tell about the profession of the youth coming to religious place."

 "We now get fifty and hundred rupee notes in our bowl. This shows that more of youth are coming to the temple. And recently we are getting more of larger denomination currency like 100 & 500 Rupee note. This indicates that more and more of software professionals are visiting places of worship. Previously we only had retired people visiting us and we had only coins of one two and five. After that middle aged employees  started coming and we started getting notes of ten and twenty rupee notes. 

With this influx of youth, the value for the begging profession has increased. Educated unemployed youth are taking to this profession, because the monetary returns are as good as the one s in software industry and of course no pink slip. We are now auctioning the begging spots and new entrants are more than willing to pay a higher price. 

We also conduct free orientation in begging technology for the new entrants. 

About the Change Management

Now the youth seems to be getting more and more interested in religion and this change has to be managed positively by the elders and religious preachers in the society.

"How can you say that so confidently" I asked eager to hear more from him.

"Previously this young men and women used to discuss Boy/Girl friends, but now they are discussing the values in life, honesty in public life and about technology and management. The same people are sometimes seen at the worship places of different religions. this shows they are trying to understand the values in other religions and develop tolerence for all the religions.

"I feel when these people grow up and administer the country; they will give clean and principled governance without any communal hatred."  We can see the emergence of real "Incredible India" when people run the country."

"How do you think would the elders would react to the resurgence in thought process in youth" I asked inquisitively.

He said " They will have to give in to the change and be a part of the stream." 

"There is  still lot more to discuss about change management, but my peek business time is approaching. Can you please come sometime next week with prior appointment; I will give two hours time. 

I said “OK”, paid him more than the agreed amount and left a happy and satisfied man. Now I know where to go, if you want to know about the changes taking place in the society.

I next searched for a housewife, and found a middle aged lady standing outside the house and gossiping with the neighbor. I explained her everything and she readily agreed to contribute.

Let us hear her... 

 A Housewife

“Yes it is tough. The way we housewives manage it, I don't think any other human species can do it. (Only Human Beings are into it, isn't it ? she asked not all that innocently, I was stumped, but still managed to say sheepishly "Yeah I think so, but I haven't evaluated this art in other species, hence I cannot authoritatively speak on this subject."

"How do you go about it?" I said taking the conversation further...

"It is vast subject, and it will take some time for you to understand"  she said and added     " why not we sit inside the house and discuss this over a cup of tea."

The lure of tea was so tempting that I did not notice the bait hidden behind it. And yes I fell for it.

We sat inside comfortably on sofa. She brought two cups and a big flask full of tea along with some snacks. She started her perspective of change management which consisted how she struggled to change the her in-laws, husband and relatives to her ways and how she succeed. She enumerated with minute details how her own sister drastically failed it this management.

"Then, how did she solve the problem" I asked curiously 

"Oh, she changed the husband," she said nonchalantly. "The new husband is so good that he doesn't need any Change Management." she said showing a lot of relief in her voice.

Three hours passed by the flask was empty, and still she was not through. ...

"There is still a lot to discuss on this subject. Why don't you join me for lunch" she said...

"Bait, a second time" I thought, 

This time I was careful, I excused myself saying that I had an important appointment to keep. I promised her to come next week with prior appointment.

I left the house with a resolve to myself that I will not visit that area for at least a year.

My god !!!!

She has changed my perspective of Change Management, I am lost.

Will someone please explain to me WHAT CHANGE MANAGEMENT IS ACTUALLY ALL ABOUT? And this time I would like a Management Professional to coach me.

Best wishes,

Shyam

Post Script.

This article is a satire with message.

1. I just wanted to say that knowledge can be acquired from anyone and everyone.

2. All the professions need to respected and no profession is less than any other profession.