August 2009

There are 2 types of change:

1. Technical change – when the solution is known and can be provided
2. Adaptive change – requires experimentation, changes of perspective, group synergy to find a new way of operating.

For example, I tried to teach project managers a new technique to improve the accuracy of their project estimates. I found that only about 2 in 5 project managers actually estimated their project costs. For these 2 people, the technical change of learning a new estimating technique helped them manage their projects better.

For the other 3 project managers, no amount of training in new estimation techniques would help — they needed to understand why estimation was important and to find a way to do it in a way that benefitted them and the organisation. They needed new attitides, perspectives and motivation — an adaptive change.

Weight loss attempts are similar. Some people simply need to be taught what to do. Once they have their nutritional plan and exercise regime, their weight comes off easily and steadily. The solution is available and it can be taught to them. These are the people you see giving brilliant testimonials, or the success stories who appear on Oprah. For others, it’s not enough to know what to do. They need help to change their lifestyles, to experiment with solutions until they find one (or a combo of several) that works for them. They may need a support network, or to find help in changing self-defeating habits.

Technical Change Needed - park somewhere else

Adaptive Change Needed - we need to work out our parking

Technical change is easy and straightforward and the solutions are known or can be provided.

Adaptive change requires experimentation, adjustment, observation, and work on a more systemic level.

If you want to learn how to use Excel for managing your family’s finances, you can take a course or read a book — the knowledge is out there. But if you want to know how to find an organisation to work for where your values are supported and your intellect is challenged, well, you’ll have to do some thinking and experimenting, some research and trial and error, and it might not be easy or straightforward.

Technical changes are new ways to do things. Adaptive changes are where you use new approaches and perspectives for new solutions that bring new results. This is where coaching can help.

Harvard Business Review wants me to renew my subscription for £85. I’m waffling. I feel very frugal at the moment, not wanting to spend money. On the other hand, I really love reading HBR, and it may prove valuable in my consultancy work. But £85 feels like a lot of money.

My husband suggested I take The Stranger Test. He saw this on Life Hacker. It was touted as a way to manage your tendencies to make expensive impulse purchases.

If a stranger came to me and offered me £85, but that meant I couldn’t have the HBR delivered to my door for a year, what would I do?

I’d take the subscription over £85. In fact, I’d for sure take the subscription until the price got nearer to £125. But don’t tell the publishers that!

We followed the same route when considering whether to upgrade our cable box to V+. (A bargain at £49.99, not worth it at £99.99)

Why not give it a try? Yes, it can help you with your impulse purchases. But I find that it helps me decide about all sorts of things. It helps me by giving me a tool I can use to discover exactly how much I value something. From Belgian chocolates to tumble dryers.

See more: The Stranger Test