Why do executives fear change?

Guest blog: Gemma Walford (Head of Sales and Account Management, Convene for the EU region)

​Business leaders cite change management as their biggest challenge, both on a day-to-day basis as well as from a long-term internal culture perspective. This challenge is what sees change management consultancies make millions of dollars per year, from acting as an external driver and catalyst. ​What many executives fail to realise is that they actually fear change themselves. 

Are your own fears a subconscious barrier to the change you know your business needs to make?

Coming to terms with human nature:
​At the most basic level, the fear of change is hardwired into us. Those of us who like change are therefore the different ones. If we fear change, we’re normal, regular human beings. Some of us might even struggle to come to terms with the fact we find change difficult. If you fit into that particular category, it shouldn’t be something you worry about.

Embrace change or walk away?
Often we’re faced with this very simple question: do we embrace change, or do we walk away? When walking away is the option picked, there may not be an actual fear of change itself, but of the process that needs to be gone through before that change is implemented.

As business leaders, we may resist change because we’re not too excited about the process of self-analysis that we need to go through. Self-analysis usually raises some tough questions that need to be asked, and human nature dictates that we don’t necessarily want to have that internal conversation—or learn the answers.

Change carries risk:
With change comes risk. This is perhaps the biggest reason why so many executives, and by extension businesses, continue with the status quo. A business with six-figure profits could embrace change, and in a few years be approaching eight-figure profits. However, this business may be happy with what it is currently achieving. While the proposed change will put certain things in motion to help the business move forward, it may also trigger other events, more self-analysis, and drive demand for change in other areas as well.

​Change can, therefore, be something of an unwelcome can of worms. The executives who deal with their own fear of change effectively and, therefore, manage change better within their businesses, are those skilled at focusing on the positive final result, even if this may be years down the line.

Beating your internal fears:
Beating any internally-held fear of change comes down to your approach. Many executives—even today when data and tangible insight is more readily available than ever before—still rely on gut feeling and “tradition” in terms of their business processes. Learning to embrace change may be as simple as learning to embrace the data and tools available to help you understand the impact change can have, and how you can manage that change yourself to a positive outcome.

Most importantly, it is crucial to recognise that change is not instant. When change is implemented and managed correctly, it is very much a soft evolution rather than an immediate, overnight change in culture that completely redefines how you operate. Change isn’t always the answer, but do not allow your internal fears to stop you assessing whether it might be what you need.

Guest blog:  Gemma Walford is head of Sales and Account Management for Convene for the EU region. She has extensive experience in the Public sector and a particular interest in improving productivity and business change. Azeus Convene is a board portal, developed to serve the needs of boards and management teams around the world.