Changing the Unchangeable

Alex Russell

Human development sometimes feels harder than web development.

I’d never been involved in the development department until recently, but my love of reporting and looking for ways to improve efficiency have made me a natural fit for the team. Fortunately, I was late to the party for the conversion to Raiser’s Edge so I missed out on a chunk of conflict where development had to coax everyone into this major organizational change. However, as we learn more about the systems we have, how we can utilize them, and shift some staff over to NXT, I’ve been noticing some common themes when convincing people to make changes in their work. So if you’re new to development or learning to embrace change, here are some of the tips I’ve picked up over the past couple years.

Baby steps. When I think I’ve come up with a great solution to a problem, I tend to go for the big picture. My enthusiasm for an ambitious end-goal is not always matched by the others involved; what I see as an opportunity for growth and improvements, others see as more work and more effort. Breaking it down into smaller, achievable goals makes it easier to process, and you can set up benchmarks to check your progress and see if the steps you’ve taken are showing benefits or if things need to be reviewed.

It’s not criticism, it’s progress. I’ve met some who take suggestions personally, who feel like changing the approach means that their approach is bad. That’s not always the case! Sometimes processes become outdated and it becomes necessary to learn more about how to modernize. And sometimes there is nothing wrong with the process at all, it could just be improved. Remember to be conscious of people’s feelings and concerns, and make sure all involved know that there’s nothing wrong with them or their work.

Share the rewards. Making a change happen is usually a team effort, and everybody works hard to achieve that end goal. Share progress and updates as your project progresses to let people know that their efforts are paying off. It’s great to be acknowledged and recognized for doing a good job, so remember to not forget the team members that made your dreams a reality.

Nicole Holt

Great perspective! Change management is definitely a process.