The Road to Change

When it comes to travel, I’ve always subscribed to the JFDI (Just Flippin’ Do It) methodology.

How far can these Northwest miles take me? Guadalajara it is. Negative 40 degrees in Michigan? It’s sunny in Costa Rica. Covid says keep your distance? Got it. Hit the road and finish touching all the States. (Sitting in Wisconsin, #50, as I write.)

Now, the JFDI methodology works just fine for a single, free-spirited woman making her own choices. It is loosely defined on purpose. There’s a vague plan. Usually. Sort of.

However, want to really upset your team of independent thinkers? Try telling them JFDI. You’d never dream of it, you say? But isn’t that exactly what we often do in projects? Send the email. It’s easy; they’ll figure it out. (Translation: JFDI)

What about a town hall to hear any concerns? No. Multi-disciplinary pilot group to get feedback before implementation? No. Live demos on how to do it? No. Maybe a crumpled up road map with a circle somewhere near the final destination? No! JFDI! (Soup Nazi style.)

Never mind that this particular it is on a long do it list. Does this it take priority? Is it a small piece of a bigger it? What’s in it for me to do it? Why is the new it better than the old it? What happens if I don’t just do it? So many questions.

Communicate with your end users. Leave the blind curves to those of us on the road.

Effective change communication is at the heart of successful change, it acts like the blood in our bodies, but instead of supplying vital oxygen and nutrients, communication supplies information and motivation to the impacted stakeholders.

— Peter F Gallagher

Shannon Vasko is a natural-born planner with a passion for strategy and integrated communications. © MI Compass Services.