MYTH #1: People resist change.
By believing that ‘people resist change,’ you are more hesitant than need be when presenting changes. People don’t resist change; they try to avoid loss. Make the effort to outline pros and cons of the changes in such a way that it’s clear that there is a net gain in the end.
MYTH #2: You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
By believing that older employees will have a challenge learning, you might inadvertently require less of them – or think you need to replace them with younger and better learners. In so doing, you lose valuable wisdom and experience that you sorely need. Humans can learn well at any age; there’s no limit to the age that humans can form completely new neuronal networks.
MYTH #3: Too much change will make people sick.
By believing that too much change will be overwhelming, you hesitate to present the full range of needed changes, or lose momentum by spacing changes out too much. The myth of ‘too much change’ developed from inaccurate and misleading earlier stress studies. There is no limit to the amount of change we can sustain. Chaotic, unpredictable and traumatic change can create issues, but it is possible to work to reduce those factors.
