I. M. Wright podcast: “Things have got to change: Change management”

As we’ve mentioned, we’re working through I. M. Wright’s podcasts, posting a new one and an archived one each month until we catch up. This post delivers the podcast from March 2008; the original related post is here.

The podcast for this column is here.

Take a look at I. M. Wright’s “Hard Code” (Microsoft Press, 2008), which includes 49 columns and numerous Eric Asides contextualizing, clarifying, and complementing I. M.’s unpulled punches. (Eric Brechner is Director of Development Excellence in Microsoft’s Engineering Excellence group.)

And here is I. M.’s opening jab in this podcast:

“It's the political season in the United States, making ‘change’ a happy word around here. Politicians fight over who better represents change. They proclaim themselves to be agents of change. Hysterical admirers jump up and down waving ‘Change’ signs. Change. Change. Change. As if change is desirable. As if change makes people happy. Nothing could be further from the truth. Are these people idiots?

At best it is temporary insanity. The concept of change is seductive, and if you want a new leader, then change is what you seek. But if people really wanted change, it would already be happening. Stasis is the basis for nice happy faces. The fact is that people hate change, as my friend, U. R. Rong, pointed out in ‘Stunted growth: Change phobia.’"