“Dale Carnegie and Change Management” – Prof.M.S.Rao

"People support a world they help create; and support a process that helps them succeed" - Dale Carnegie

Change is the thing everyone is scared. When we talk of changing the clothes, the foods and the lifestyles we get excited. However, when we are asked to change place of location, nature of work or if there are changes in roles and responsibilities and policies and procedures, we get tense. Why is it so? Does it not sound contradictory? But it is a fact that people resist change. We shall find out the same from the perspective of Dale Carnegie.

Dale Carnegie stated of six kinds of fears people have to overcome. They are ‘fear of criticism’, ‘fear of failure’, ‘fear of old age’, ‘fear of poverty’, ‘fear of ill health’ and finally ‘fear of death’. In the context of change, it is the ‘fear of failure’ and ‘fear of criticism’ that are the obstacles for embracing change. The people at the workplace are scared of embracing change as the results of change are unpredictable and they doubt about the capability and competency in effecting the change. At times the loss of authority, fear of losing job and fear of coming out of the comfort zone make the change process complicated.

In fact, the fear of change is worse than the real change. When the real change takes place, people gradually overcome their apprehensions provided there is a strong and visionary leadership that guides the change process.

Conclusion:

Everyone talks of change and everyone knows that change pays off well. Everyone admits that change is the only constant thing in the world. Yet, people resist change. Is it because change is painful and stressful? The fact is that change is always helpful. If there were no change, the mankind would have remained in Stone Age only. Therefore, let us mentally prepare to shed the old outdated practices and procedures and wed new ones that lead to all-round peace and prosperity. To conclude in the words of Benjamin Disraeli, “Change is inevitable in a progressive society. Change is constant.”