Where Does the Pressure to Make Changes on the Job Come From?

It can be tempting to think of the work environment either as a stagnate organism stuck in regulations and rules or to think of it as constantly shifting and changing to meet market demands. In reality, most companies and businesses are a combination-there are those things that seem "stuck" or processes, products or people who seem to be entrenched in the fabric of the company and then there are those constant changes. It can be helpful to determine whether changes are generating from "outside" the company or from within and whether or not they are coming from management or from somewhere else.

It used to be assumed that the pressure to make changes always came from management. It was part of the "top down" theory of management style and it was assumed that workers did not want or like change and that it was management who needed to push and pressure a company's workforce to progress. Most of us know instances where it was pressure from the workers that created change or pressure from clients, customers, government or other outside sources that forced a company, industry or organization to make progressive changes. The pressure to change can come from anywhere and understanding where and why is only the beginning of the process.

Depending on the size and complexity of the company, industry or organization, change can take time. Regardless of how lean and flexible the work environment is, it is important to take some time to evaluate change and research the possible outcomes. Just because the pressure is there to implement change for whatever reason, that does not necessarily mean it is the best direction to take. Looking at possibilities from different angles and getting feedback from other departments or points of view are all an important part of the process of preparing to initiate changes on the job. Understanding where the pressure to make change is coming from is the first part of the "battle," doing the research and gathering information to make the smoothest transition may be the most difficult part. Determine whether the changes will actually make things better, bring about progress or improve things for those involved.