Change or die

Change is the key to improving your organization. I have worked with IT for many years and have seen changes implemented with failure and success. The question was posed by Alan Deutschman in his book "Change or Die" in 2007. Where he asked, "What if you were given that choice? If you didn't, your time would end soon — much sooner than it had to. Could you change when change matters most?" Deutschman concludes that we rarely ever do, although we all can change our behaviour. From patients suffering from heart disease to repeat offenders in the criminal justice system to companies trapped in the mould of unsuccessful business practices, many could prevent bad outcomes by simply changing our mindset. Jack Welch said, "Don't manage - lead change before you have to." Take this into consideration, and you will immediately conclude that change must be a part of your company culture. But how? One of today's hot topics in the IT industry is agile, which means using Agile methods that focus on quick responses to change and continuous development. If you can spread that philosophy into your whole organization, you will be the head of many competitors. In the future, managers must focus on how they can implement continuous changes for the benefit of both shareholders and employees.