Managing Change

This blog continues to chart the move to trust status of the Museum of Unreason.

This week, although I have been continuing to work on the detailed business plan, one thing I have realised is that things have to change.

When managing change there are many problems to resolve, theories to implement, ungrateful and under performing staff to sack etc.

Every manager should have a theory, you should listen to people who make sense to you, and mock unmercifully people you disagree with. So purely in terms of human resource management Machiavelli is one of my management guru heroes. I am particularly fond of, 'A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise'. I also slavishly follow his 'Before all else, be armed'.

In terms of advice on taking up a new post in a museum, Machiavelli is clear, 'The new ruler must determine all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and for all.' Inspirational stuff.

But he is a lot less confident when it comes to managing change, 'There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.' Now that is worrying when the most enlightened management consultant in European history says that change management is a difficult thing to do. (For a more conservative Eastern perspective there is nothing better than Sun Tsu's Art of War. Try his advice in your next management meeting, 'Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness' and see what happens.)

Anyway, in terms of change management I have had to find my own path. So here is my practical advice for instant action.

1. Hide in a cupboard until all the staff have gone home.

2. Spend the evening rearranging all the items in the office and, crucially, the museum stores

3. The next day if you have done your job properly the institution will instantly grind to a halt and the stick in the mud curator will have a a spectacular nervous breakdown, verbally abuse you and fall into your 'dealing with criticism by under performing staff' trap (see previous blog).

4. Now its your opportunity to initiate the 'need to change' conversation. Add incentives such as promising to tell the staff where the toilet roll is when they have agreed to all cost cutting measures and operational changes. Note Machiavelli's advice above on promises to keep them on their toes.

Thus instant action is generated and whatever unrest you have caused, reassure yourself with Machiavelli again, 'Hatred is gained as much by good works as by evil'

Now you know what any enlightened manager realises and knows to be true -

You are doing good work and the staff are all evil.










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