New in-car technology, quarterly digital tax submission, updates to the driving test, social media, digital marketing and so forth, it seems like change is coming at us from all angles. Change, and organisational change in particular, does not always come easy, and therefore many efforts fail to reach their objectives and end up being pushed back against, or diluted and relatively ineffective. This resistance to change is rarely irrational, but tends to stem from a perspective that makes perfect sense to you, especially within your working life, where your professional experience and knowledge come into play. The truth is that people do not resist change if they believe it is in their best interest.

Turn and Face the Strange

Ignorance is a big barrier. The less you know about the change and its impact on you and your business, the more fearful you become. Implementing any change requires preparation and knowledge, and escaping the rumour mill by getting information direct from the ‘horse’s mouth’. The recent changes to the test means the forums and social media were awash with posts stating that pulling up on the right ‘was not a real-life skill’, ‘not even legal’ and ‘dangerous’. I wonder how many of those who wrote the posts actively spoke to their local test centre manager, or contacted the DVSA to talk over these claims, or read through the official proposals and reasoning?

Time May Change Me

Changes in our industry can cause ADIs to doubt their capabilities and ability to cope – it is a fear of the unknown, while we know and are used to the system as it is (though often moan that it should be better!). Do you resist change because you have concerns about being capable of adapting, whether to the technology, practices or requirements etc? Fear is such a powerful motivator, it’s about self-protection, but it can be misplaced, and can too easily reinforce resistance established through ignorance of the facts. But if we ever want to progress, we need to override uneducated fears, gain understanding and then establish our opinions based on real, appropriate knowledge.

Want To Be Richer

Sometimes it is not what you change, but how you change it that creates resistance. It’s essential not to rush decisions and changes, but establish the full facts, and spend time working on a well thought out handover strategy.The idea that people naturally resist change is a myth. Life is a process of continuous change through learning, experience and necessity. Just look at your pupils and their progress as they learn to drive. Think of the changes we effect on our pupils as they progress with learning to drive. We need to ensure that change is a positive experience, even when it proves to be unexpected. Being prepared for anything means it will rarely be negative, but a surprisingly positive experience instead.

Mike runs ADI Network, who have teamed up with Perkbox and made use of their collective buying power to provide instructors & their pupils access to a huge number of money saving perks.