I’ve been writing for a while now about the need to change the way we change in organizations.  The notion that change can and should be managed has resulted in “change” becoming a rote exercise in project management. I think we have developed some wonderful insights, tools, techniques, and approaches to infusing project plans with better communications, better training, and a better understanding of managing stakeholders. The results in terms of adoption are great.

But when it comes to culture change, or what we like to refer to now as “engagement”, something different is required. Culture is socially constructed through dialog between people, and it emerges through shared experiences. It requires different techniques to cultivate and grow.  As Peter Senge said, we need gardeners, not mechanics, to truly change a culture.

Sue Morhman is hosting a webinar on changing change through the Center for Effective Organizations.  It looks like it will be interesting – check it out if you have a few minutes:  Change Management is Obsolete: Learnings from Research and Practice about What’s Next.

Cultivation takes time, variety, and attention.