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A few days ago I was wondering about a great article that a read by Luc de Brabandere that was adapted from his book, The Forgotten Half of Change: Achieving Greater Creativity Through Changes in Perception. It really provokes the thought that change without change in perception means that the job is just half-done. Perhaps, it just made me think because I spent a lot of time at high school thinking about the very question: “In order to know how things really are one must understand the filters through which one perceives the world”. I do not really remember what I answered to this in a form of essay for Theory of Knowledge subject. Would it matter? Not really. All it mattered is the feeling that you cannot help: you live in a “subjective reality”.

It is not sufficient to change an organisation by making structural changes, by altering the mission, by applying new strategy. It is quite good if you have found a niche in a market and you have a clear and consise plan how to exploit it. Good. But not good enough. If you really want to fulfill the new strategy, if you want to lead them there as a business leader, you have to change perceptions as well. I have written in my post “Leadership and paradigm shifts” about understanding others’ way of perceiving things and to be ready to change your own paradigm if it is necessary to do so. In change management, I wholeheartedly think that it is crucial to understand paradigms, understand the assumptions, the underlying factors that motivate your people to a great extent. As much as possible. Period. If only then when you deeply understand what people think about the firm can you make the next step: altering the assumptions.

Why do you have to understand the paradigms within the firm? I believe that for two fundamental reasons. Both will be quite straightforward. First, it is much easier to change something that you are aware of. There might be assumptions and values that need different approach, more rational or more emotional, you have to tackle it differently in order to achieve results. You need to understand your people and their way of thinking. The second reason is that the extent of change differs by case from case. If you would like to add a new service to the portfolio it may or it may not require a great change. Depends on the nature of service as well as your people’s paradigms. However, if you would like to make a non-innovative-focused company into an innovative one — there is sure a lot to do.

How? The most important thing is to communicate with people. As many as possible. Listen to them, understand them. You can be astonished by what people say. It is useful in general, because it provides you a great opportunity to learn. Ask questions that help you to understand their paradigms and their image of the firm. Try to see your company through their glasses. His or her reality maybe slightly different from your reality. But both of you have to accomplish the same goal that you propose.