I was giving a presentation to a group of senior managers who were talented and experienced in their respective roles, driving operational execution.

The topic was change. And they had something in common.

They all felt that new initiatives they were responsible for, often fell short in delivering sustainable outcomes. In pretty much every instance, when it came right down to it, implementation was difficult and adoption was even more so. If there was a way to keep the status quo, people seemed to grab that every time.

With the nature of work evolving so quickly, this is getting more difficult each quarter.

As we were nearing the conclusion of the session, I was reviewing some of the building blocks of change leadership.

Vision. Communication. Learning. Transition support. I put up a slide that said:

“Sounds like common sense… and that’s the problem.”

All of these are simple concepts.

But they require focus, energy, and skill to do them well. And they are almost always underestimated.

The modern workplace is insanely busy. Everything that takes extra effort is hard, especially when there are fires to put out.

But what’s the alternative?

If you ignore them, you’ll put your efforts at risk. When you’re leading change, these are essential.

Do them. And do them well.

It seems like common sense, eh?

Well, it’s not that common. And that’s unfortunate for the organizations that aren’t seeing the benefits of the investments they’re making in trying to be better.

In fact, it’s a shame.

Have a great week!