Change I Can Believe In (Or Not)
I have an interesting internal dilemma. I’ve worked at my current association for two months: a fair amount of time to pick up the basics. The position I hold is new to me and has proved to be a great learning experience (it encompasses quite a few projects with which I have no prior experience). But the mixed message I have floating around in my head about what I should be doing or not doing is bugging me: should I be making changes and doing things a new way or work on learning the the old way first for a better understanding?
Rewind to a few months ago, during the interview for this position, I was asked about changing things and what my attitude was on it. I explained that it’s been my experience that just about everything can be improved. But I also mentioned this should be tempered with common sense and things should not be changed purely for the sake of it or because it’s the latest trend.
I still think this.
Some of the worst decisions I’ve seen in my professional career were due to someone new coming in, guns blazing, wanting to change everything for the sake of it. In fairness, I’ve seen a lot of good from a new person coming in and making hard changes, but that seems to be the exception.
Now come back to the present day. I feel a little conflicted. At heart, I am an idea/brainstorming person and I feel like I should be making improvements, making suggestions, etc. The vice president often smiles at me and says, “if you can think of any way to improve this, let me know.” She must say this a few times a week—which makes me think maybe she really wants me to change things too.
But then, I come back to the fact that most of what I do is so new to me that I am still learning it (let alone thinking of ways to improve it). Instead of making suggestions for change, I find myself working on the same projects the same way they’ve always been done—since before I’ve been here with two, minor exceptions:
- I redesigned the bi-monthly newsletter to make it more reader friendly (members seem to like it).
- I plan on changing the way the association contacts industry magazines in regards to articles. (I plan to call the editors in addition to sending our association’s press kit).
Am I doing too much? Not enough? I don’t know. I think about it every day and debate it in my head. It’s almost a thought versus feeling debate I am going though and I am not sure if I should believe the “change” feeling or the “wait” thinking .
January 8, 2009 at 3:45 pm
If you’re torn about which way to go, talk to more people about it (and this post is a start!). Ask more people about what should change, what shouldn’t, and why. I’m guessing that if you get some more data, the path will be clearer. I know sometimes I take too much of the burden of figuring out what to change onto myself.
January 30, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Caron,
Your question is a good one and speaks to an important quality you have … caring about doing the right thing for your employer.
My sense of this is that a new employee needs to underscore to those who hired him or her that he/she is the genuine package they thought they hired. And i feel that that can only happen once difficult decisions are made by that person. Whether it is letting someone go or recommending a bold new initiative, it has to be action beyond day-to-day duties and responsibilities.
However, those actions need to be carefully thought out and planned. You need to do your homework before proceeding. And with that said, I think it is the prudent thing to do to ensure you fully understand current policies and practices before you formulate a plan for change.
Related, it will strengthen your presentation of that plan (to your superiors) if you can relate clearly and accurrately the full transition … from what is today to what you propose for the future. You need to justify the actions you propose, and that can only happen if you clearly understand the falicies of current practices.
I hope this helps, Caron. Keep on asking questions and keep on caring about the decisions you make. Just don’t overthink things however. Do your homework and make informed decisions … that’s what it is all about.
Good luck, Caron!
Steven