Fear of change is a very normal human reaction whether it has to do with your personal life or your professional life. I am also scared of change - especially when it is not myself deciding that things need to change. If it is not my own decision, then I expect the people or the person that needs me to change, to explain WHY og HOW the change should take place. If I do not truly accept the background or reason for change, then I will most likely challenge it. And this is where it gets interesting. Most people do not verbally express that they do not want to change, they may even nod their heads in a seemingly accepting way - but underneath the surface not embracing the change. Only a few percent of the population will stand up and verbally argue against the change, because they do not feel comfortable to share their concerns. They have fear of the consequences. This is especially true for organizations where your job is at stake.

I have become more and more aware of the ability to address change and changing behaviors in the OPEN. To be honest and patient about the need for explanation. The accept that ALL people have different acceptance curves for change, which most leaders know on the intellectual level, but do not internalize on the gut feeling level. Look at John Kotters 8 steps of change. Most people skip a step or two in order to achieve change quicker. My advice is: do not skip any steps. Accept that change is difficult, creates fear in most people and can be easily said, but more difficultly done.

What is your perspective on change?

A lot of business models are under attack and the big question is HOW the different sectors will adjust to this. I have a background in the Airline industry, which has been riveted with changes over the past decade. New business models from lowcost carriers with dramatic revenue drop as a result, point of sale changes because of the internet as the main sales channel, huge impacts from the 9/11 event, the Financiel crisis and continuing increased taxation from the airports and vendors. During some talks with a good friend and ex-colleague from the airline industry, I found out that all these changes and adjustment to changes have made a big impact on how I view changes in the environment. Now that I have gone into the Telekom sector I can see that my new industry are about to go into the exact same dramatic change - and that it will require the incumbent Telcos to make equally dramatic changes in their business models. So tools like revenue optimization and dynamic pricing schemes will be a necessity if the "old" dinasour Telcos want to survive. OTT players like Whatsapp, Skype, Facebook will take a stronger foothold in the market and bypass the Incumbents business models that typically charge minuts and not data. Interesting how you are able to look at structural changes from one industry to another, which incidently is the big consultancy companies thrieve on.
How do you see the challenges in YOUR industry? And are you learning from another industry that are experiencing major structural changes?

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