It is something that has always fascinated me. If a certain approach has been “successful” for a person, in that they’ve been promoted and achieved career progress, what is in it for them to change that approach? The saying goes – “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. But I wonder if it should be “does the old dog want to learn new tricks?”
We know from the work of Dr Lois Frankel and others that different behaviours are needed when you move from being a technical expert or specialist to that of a leader. And we know from Harvard Business Review research that different leadership competencies are required at different stages of your leadership career. But what if a leader doesn’t care for any of that, and continues along their merry way – oblivious to their style, behaviours and competencies.
They say that change occurs when the pain of not changing is greater than the pain associated with undertaking the change. So, as an example: where the risk of dying from heart disease overrides the pain of getting up early every morning to go for a walk.
So, the question is whether there is any pain that the “old dog” is experiencing from remaining the way that they are. Or to put it another way – what is the opportunity cost of remaining the way they are versus trying a new approach.
I am thinking of one very successful business person. This person would definitely fall into the “can’t teach an old dog new tricks and the old dog doesn’t want to learn any either!” Their response to any questioning around their style would point to their success to date, and how it has served them well.
What this person may not see is the fall out from their style. So, the opportunity cost in reduced productivity, fearful employees, bullying complaints, increased turnover and absenteeism.
PROSCI, the change management experts talk about five stages of personal change:
- Awareness of the need to change.
- Desire to make the change happen.
- Knowledge of how to change.
- Ability to implement new skills and behaviours.
- Reinforcement to retain the change once it has been made.
The tricky bit in all this is that it relies on two elements being present to get the process started.
- A degree of self awareness of the “old dog” and the ability to at least acknowledge the current situation and consider the possibility of changing; and
- A relationship between the “old dog” and a trusted individual where a courageous conversation can occur around their style, the impact of that style and how much more successful they could be with a change to that style.
In many cases, it really is simply a lack of awareness, and this courageous conversation, when done in the right way with the right person has yielded extraordinary results and changes.
Of course, no one can force another person to change – but the starting point is to at least provide the awareness of what the impact of that change is, the cost to that person and others, and the “what’s in it for me” for the “old dog”. And at the very least, when done properly – this conversation should result in the “old dog” making a conscious choice regarding their behaviours. That is, they are aware of the change but don’t have the desire to make it happen.
What do you think? Are we all adaptable to a certain point and then it is all too hard, or with the right motivation can any of us change at any point in our lives?
Until next time, happy leading.
