There is not a single director of a company -regardless of its size, what it does or where it is located- who speaks ill of change: it is necessary, it is important, it is the key to novelty, serving new markets or consumers. Change is essential in business.
So far everything sounds very good, except that one of the main barriers is precisely these directors or the management team, who have thousands of phrases to avoid being part of these processes, despite the fact that their commitment and feedback are key.
What are the most common phrases?: “I don’t have time”, “We didn’t get anywhere”, “They should start with another department”, “Why don’t they tell us what to do and that’s it?”
Tools to truly change
The processes of change and innovation are part of creative development and require starting with a diagnosislong before doing market research, surveys or something very sophisticated.
At this stage, traditional research tools can be used, observation of user needs, formal or semi-structured interviews with collaborators, as well as review of the company’s historical behavior -trying to make comparisons in similar segments to obtain valuable data. -.
Once this step is completed, we can structure the process with the use of tools, such as:
The game as a detonator to change
Many industries remain skeptical of these types of tools because they consider that spending time on game dynamics is a waste of time. Here is very important: there is no creativity without a playful approach and playfulness happens -necessarily- by suspending judgments and prejudices and games are perfect for this.
Empathy, empathy and empathy
It is essential to understand who is going to use the product or service, what their needs and limitations really are. Do you want proof of how empathy is something we overlook? Try to walk a kilometer with a stroller, a wheelchair or a market cart and you will realize that either there is no sidewalk, or there is no zebra crossing, there are invaded spaces or stairs. Empathy is not just recognizing the existence of the other: it is understanding what they need and how they need it.
The example sweeps
If those who are going to change are not clear about why they want the process, the path, those responsible, the objectives to be met, and they are the first to put up resistance, the deliverable will be a document that will age on a computer.
Change needs stagesas studies and literature have shown in this regard, and which identify -as in any situation over which we feel we have no control- denial, frustration, discouragement to begin to accept the new order. To the extent that there is adequate management, risks are minimized and contribute to the resilience of the business.