Technology Accelerates Change
Change is not new, but modern technology is accelerating the pace of change.
My grandmother was born in 1900 and when she died in 1972, she had witnessed the greatest amount of change seen by any generation, since the dawn of time.
When she was a child, everyone she knew travelled either on foot, bicycle or horse. By 1972 she had witnessed the introduction of electricity, cars, radio, TV, mass media, aeroplanes, nuclear weapons, nuclear power and space travel to the moon and Mars.
The pace of change has continued to increase, especially with the advent of smartphones and the internet, genetic engineering, information science, facial recognition and nanotechnology.
Rules to Manage Change.
Put in place these rules to manage the accelerated pace of change.
1. Embrace it.
Don't try to fight change. Life on Earth is based upon evolutionary change.
Those who fail to adapt themselves to changing circumstances, become extinct.
If you want to stay in the game, then embrace change.
2. Surround yourself with young people.
People younger than you are still growing and adapting.
They are very adept at the new technology, because for them, it is not new technology, it is just "the way things are".
My 6-year-old granddaughter manages her tablet as if it were a part of her brain. Young people can teach you how to use new tech.
3. Recognise that fundamental truths never change.
Although technology changes, human nature does not.
Humans have been on the earth for 300,000 years, and our basic instincts are unchanged by technology.
Technology simply makes things happen faster.
So, people use technology to create and destroy with ever greater efficiency.
To manage change, manage yourself:
- Be clear in your thoughts, goals and language.
- Be rational in your plans, actions and re-actions.
- Be positive in your attitudes, intentions and emotions.
Change Management Training
We run a fantastic Change Management Course to help you manage change in your organisation and empower people to willingly accept and adapt to change.
Change management
Change management is a business process that maps a clear route from how things work now to how they need to work next, keeps staff informed and skilled, protects daily work from big shocks, and checks progress until the new way of working sticks and shows true gains.
CG4D Definition
Context: Business
Genus: Process
- Draws a clear plan to move work from the old way to the new way.
- Talks with and trains people so they accept and use the change.
- Limits risk and keeps daily tasks running while change happens.
- Checks use and gains until the new way becomes normal.
Article Summary
Technology speeds up change beyond our control, so the smart path is to welcome new tools, learn from younger minds, keep timeless values firm, and train teams to adapt with skill and confidence.