cameron and green making-sense-of-change-management

Individual changePerformanceTimeFigure 1.2The learning diplearn something new. Let us take an example of driving your new car for thefirst time. For many people the joy of a new car is tempered by the nervousnessof driving it for the first time. Getting into the driving seat of your oldcar is an automatic response, as is doing the normal checks, turning the keyand driving off. However, with a new car all the buttons and control panelsmight be in different positions. One can go through the process of locatingthem either through trial and error, or perhaps religiously reading throughthe driver’s manual first. But that is only the beginning, because you knowthat when you are actually driving any manner of things might occur thatwill require an instantaneous response: sounding the horn, flashing yourlights, putting the hazard lights on or activating the windscreen wipers.All these things you would have done automatically but now you needto think about them. Thinking not only requires time, it also requires a‘psychological space’ which it is not easy to create when driving along atyour normal speed. Added to this is the nervousness you may have aboutit being a brand new car and therefore needing that little bit more attentionso as to avoid any scrapes to the bodywork.As you go through this process, an external assessment of your performancewould no doubt confirm a reduction in your efficiency and effectivenessfor a period of time. And if one were to map your internal stateyour confidence levels would most likely dip as well. Obviously thisanxiety falls off over time. This is based on your capacity to assimilate newinformation, the frequency and regularity with which you have changedcars, and how often you drive.15