Article: Change must go beyond the parameters of survival: Shailesh Tewary

C-Suite

Change must go beyond the parameters of survival: Shailesh Tewary

Romance and adventure, by acting as passion catalysts, kindle the process of change, thereby helping in corporate alignment on people matters
 

To enhance the speed of transformation process, the facilitation of change needs equal proportions of romance and adventure as passion catalysts

 

Whether one likes it or not, ‘change’ remains a perpetual occurring, inevitably becoming a part of our lives. And change, the only constant, has a tendency to be resisted too. Despite several researchers spending their lifetime trying to understand the phenomenon of change, the final diagnostics, the pill, still remains elusive.

The Corporate world, a reflection of every nation’s growth, is as much affected by change, as I’m with my teenage son’s attire, including his hairstyle. The first (and natural) thought which comes to mind is about necessity of change. Does change suit me? What more can it accommodate and what would be its outcome?

In the last more-than-four decades of my working life, I’ve observed and absorbed the impacts of change from the man’s landing on Moon and pledging peace for all mankind, to hordes of men landing in a metropolis and creating terror. With these experiences, I assume it safe to state that innumerable encounters of change kaleidoscopically whirl past in a jiffy, leaving onlookers grappling, sinking and swimming with the tides of time.

Change engulfs everything that falls on its path and is not different in the realm of the corporate world, which is both a creator and facilitator of change for business needs. In the long run, it is their decisions (regarding change) that impact profits, economy, et al and subsequently our livelihood.

Change must go beyond the parameters of survival. Tinkling cash counters dealing in credit and debit cards fulfill dreams that create a will just like poetry gives birth to romance and adventure breeds thrill. Since time immemorial, romance and adventure have proven how core resilience provides the will to sing and dance or be brave and courageous to change. To enhance the speed of transformation process, the facilitation of change needs equal proportions of romance and adventure as passion catalysts.

Change undergoes a perception stage till it becomes a reality. This is the most vulnerable and critical stage in the process of change as dreams are built here. Culturally, dreams cannot (and should not) be at an extreme tangent. Just like a great thinker once said, “(Change) has to be slightly ahead of society and not far ahead of society.”

Change must also have the belief of being for the good. Thus, to sustain change, a facilitator should take cognizance of the culture impact and create targets to fulfill aspirations, sufficient enough to energize the adventure factor which feeds on thrill.

Due to tumultuous economic conditions, experts are voicing their views on all forms of cuts to meet the challenges thrown by the economic crisis. However, the People Mantra of the hour should be, “Downsizing not downgrading, upgrading not upsizing”. Changes, as and when they occur, impact the knowledge base too. It is essential for the corporate world to be a part of a scheduled plan in developing knowledge capital base and providing sustainability in continuous learning in order to peak into the future and build the future in harmony to heritage and society. The change transformation, if brought about gradually like romance and intensely like adventure has the ingredients to kindle the inspirational magic that create an urge to not only do but also complete.

The potential for growth is infinite for those who galvanize energy to foster innovation and creation. One can always take a leaf from movie makers of the past whose presentations viz. Ben-Hur, Spartacus, Lawrence of Arabia, Casablanca, Dr. Zhivago, My Fair Lady, Roman Holiday, et al, show a perfect synergy between creativity and the energy of employees. Productivity only as in population is not comforting. Fostering innovation and creation will enable empowerment and most importantly, empower ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
 

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Topics: C-Suite, Culture, #ChangeManagement

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