This is in the context of asking the right questions to get at the underlying
issues behind resistance to change.
Rosalind King <rozking@umich.edu> suggested asking a few other questions:
>What are you most afraid of losing if X?
>What's the best that X could turn out to be like? What one thing about
>the implementation might help it turn out like that?
>If I were brave enough and thought it would help, I'd ask: "What's the
>worst that could happen if X?" Sometimes nailing that down helps move
>into problem-solving mode rather than generalized nervousness. And
>people have pretty good ideas that surprise them.
I suggested in an earlier message that a good source on change management
is _Aftershock: Helping People Through Corporate Change_ (1987). The
questions Roz poses are exactly some of those in the book. But the book
goes further by laying out a program of helping people deal with their
feelings about change. If there's some interest out there, I'll provide a
brief summary of the book.
David E. Birren
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Bureau of Management & Budget
Phone: (608)267-2442 Fax: (608)267-3579
Internet: birred@dnr.state.wi.us