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So, we're talking about transformation and change, right?
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And there is a lot of change around us.
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Technology is changing, societies are changing,
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our personal lives are changing.
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The only constant in life is really change.
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But, why is change often so scary?
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Why do we not see the opportunities, but only the risks?
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Why is it so hard to get out of the comfortable
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status quo we are in right now to move forward?
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Well, of course you need some energy, right?
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If you are comfortable in one place, you need some energy to move forward,
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you need to find the energy somewhere within,
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or around you.
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And then, of course, we're human.
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We have emotions,
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and very often, our emotions get the better of us
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when confronted with traumatic transformational change
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around us.
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Professor Schlossberg has a great theory
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and a great model of transition
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that really explains the emotional roller coaster we are going through
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when confronted with radical transformation.
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Something big happens to us or around us or with us,
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the first thing: denial - this is not happening!
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It's not happening to us, it's not happening now.
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Eventually, though, reality sinks in,
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a lot of fear and anxiety take over.
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What do we do, what does it mean for us?
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Will we have enough to eat, will we have a roof over our head,
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will we be loved, who knows?
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We're stressed, we try not to deal with it
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but eventually, we'll try to find out how to practice some things.
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Try, well, this works, this might not work, we are learning things,
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and then, we start to discover the opportunities in the transformation.
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We're getting excited
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we want to change the world,
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and want to change everybody around us and with us,
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and realize everybody else -- while we are super enthusiastic --
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might be still on the other side and be stuck in fear
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and anger and depression.
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So, this is how it works.
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Sometimes it goes in seconds, sometimes it takes years
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and unfortunately, sometimes people
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and complete organizations get stuck somewhere in the middle
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of deep depression, unproductivity, and fear.
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So, our goal --
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if we have reached the excitement about the transformation we want to drive,
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is to take the other people with us,
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and help them through this emotional rollercoaster.
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How do we do this? First:
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You want to have a super clear vision
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of what this transformation actually look like.
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Has to be clear, has to be short, has to be crisp
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and by the way, 80% of all change management projects fail
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because they don't have a good vision.
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So, if you get one thing right,
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this has a huge opportunity.
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Second:
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Be clear on the impact.
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Of course, the negative impact if you don't move,
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or the people around you don't move, the organizations don't move.
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But also the positive impact,
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that adresses the fears, the concerns and
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the search for opportunities
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that is out there with all of us
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that gives us something to hold on,
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to get the energy, to get through this curve and get out and be enthusiastic
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and motivated and drive things forward.
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Communicate.
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If you're dealing with someone who is in denial or in deep fear
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they are not reading a five page document,
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so you have to be very clear and crisp,
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what's in it for them, why they don't have to be afraid,
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and how they can help to move things forward, and make it better.
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Over-communicate, again and again and again
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according to where somebody is on the emotional curve.
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Doesn't matter if you're enthusiastic, if they're afraid,
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you need to be addressing them where they are
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and to deal with their fears.
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Fourth: Don't do it alone.
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Build a team that helps you
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to understand the big picture.
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A diverse team with diverse viewpoints
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sharpens your vision, gets a better strategy, gets a better plan
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and you have a lot of allies that can help people
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and organizations for every stage of the emotional curve.
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And last, but not least: You own the change.
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You are the leader of the change you want to see and you want to drive.
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Celebrate the victories, step by step
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while you're going through this transformation.
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So people stay engaged
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they see the progress
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and you start a movement, and more and more people will join
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and support you in that journey.
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And at the end, don't forget to celebrate the victory.
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Celebrate, harness the energy because one thing is sure
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change is happening again
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but if you have successfully managed to radical transformation once,
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a second time
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it's not easy, but it's going to be easier.
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With that, I want to invite you.
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We're in a world full of opportunities.
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Some of them look scary, but they are definitely out there
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to make our world a better place
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and I would like you
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to become the change you want to see in the world.
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Thank you very much.
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(Applause)
