It's been a bit of a dry spell for me contributing to this Blog site....all of you are aware, quite a bit of change going on within our own little world of IT internal to the Organization. Still not completely free from the fallout of the changes we're starting to settle in and address what needs to be addressed. Rest assured, IT Management will be paying close attention to the changes and looking for more ways in the future to streamline and drive efficiencies.
I'm truly excited about the recent changes and firmly believe these will help make Conservation better in the future..... "better" = positioned for improved responsiveness and positioned for the direction that IT is heading. i.e. the move towards integrating Voice/Data network service staff. If you're paying attention, the "real world" is merging what used to be disparate networks. VOIP is forcing the skill set of technology folks to change, to meld in some cases. Changes to unfairest, hardware/software, and building construction are being to show up in Conservation as a result of these technology advances. Changes in staff and staff responsibilities are a given if we plan to at LEAST maintain some sort of parallel with the world. Our customers are changing and we must change/adapt as a result.
The real value here I think is to anticipate that change and then position yourself (in this case IT staff and technology inside MDC) to respond. Put the right people in the right places as much in advance of the "need" as you can...and the resulting impact will be a much smoother transition for ...almost everyone. That's a challenge for many of us in the technology world...while many will profess that they embrace change and welcome it....I can tell you first hand that sometimes those words are nothing more that lip service. IT staffers as much as anyone else can be less than enthusiastic about being resilient in the face of change. Where do you fall in this spectrum?...Do you profess that change is good,--- good up and until it's change that affects you personally? Or are you one that leads the charge towards change and implementing it--even if that means you must change/adapt yourself?
The fact remains, recent changes in our IT structure will likely be the tip of the iceberg. Those of you who know me...really know me...have heard me make comments about "The Face of Change." I believe in my heart that in order for Conservation to continue to be successful in the years/generations to come...that we must be about change...in affect Conservation, specifically Missouri Conservation should be that "Face of Change."
Closer to home, we in IT can be some of those faces of change. We can model it, we can BE IT. Growth is all about change---change is innate to growth....nothing stays the same if it grows. Don't we want Conservation to grow? To be more than it is today? IT is at the forefront for helping to lead Conservation into that growth spurt---especially when it comes to communications to and with constituents, our public, our supporters. THEY are certainly changing! We can help provide the conduit for other workers in Conservation to effect change...every day!
A recent article I was reading asked this: "Does your organization [read MDC IT here] drive business change or simply just respond to it? Success in today's business environment can rely heavily on an organization's ability to seize the opportunities that arise as a result of change." Can you see the value for us (MDC IT) to be a part of this? Do you see the value in helping drive some this change, versus just responding to it?
I hope you can because I firmly believe that it's people like that who will be leading this Organization into the future...
TAFN
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2 comments:
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I've also experienced that leading change can also be considered by others as "rocking the boat" and possibly create animosity with your peers or customers and sometimes even your superiors. The ability to sell the change seems to be a prerequisite skill that one needs in order to promote the change. In some cases, when strong resistance is encountered, the ability to believe in oneself and having the courage to stay the course may be needed. You must be prepared and willing to confront opposition whenever you suggest a change. After all, people are creatures of habit and they do not like to be thrust into areas that they are not familiar. This seems to be the most common denominator for resistance to change. In any case, ultimately visible support from upper management will be needed in order to implement change and encourage people to be willing to take the risks when they suggest changes.
"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything." - George Bernard Shaw
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