Why “change management” is often useless

Many organizations believe that motivation must always come from outside.

Motivation is often promoted through salary increases, praise or other extrinsic incentives. Change management workshops are particularly fashionable, in which employees – often by external “experts” – are persuaded to support the course set by internal management and to think it is great.

This overlooks the fact that true, lasting motivation comes from within. If organizations constantly have to motivate or convince from the outside, they remain in a state of dependency that is not healthy for the company or the employees in the long term. To put it bluntly, we are promoting a mentality in which we “carry the dog to hunt”.

Why external motivation is a dead end

Are you constantly pushing the motivation of your teams? Order do you awaken your own natural drive and promote self-development?

Children in a playground don’t need anyone to motivate them. They are naturally curious, want to discover and have fun.  We all have this inner motivation within us, but it is often stifled by external pressure.

How to promote lasting self-development

Instead of relying on extrinsic motivation, you should create a culture that promotes the inner drive of employees. By offering appreciation, development opportunities and a meaningful task, employees will be motivated by themselves. The most natural “change management” is when you turn those affected into participants at an early stage.