Unconstrained Change

Janis is an award-winning journalist and editor who has covered many industries beyond project management, including health care, financial services, higher education and retail sales.

  Change Management   Communications Management   ProjectsAtWork  

Project managers face resistance on a daily basis. Change management guru Rick Maurer spoke with ProjectsAtWork about how resistance leads to the high failure rate of major change initiatives, and what can be done to overcome the all-too-familiar struggle to move forward.

In 1996, when change management expert Rick Maurer released “Beyond the Wall of Resistance,” he reported research showing that 70 percent of all major changes in organizations fail and offered strategies to build support for change. Apparently, organizations need a refresher.

The harsh reality is that costly and damaging failures continue today at a high rate, virtually unchanged from 15 years ago. Maurer revisits the lack of progress in a second edition, “Beyond the Wall of Resistance: Why 70% of All Changes Still Fail — and What You Can Do About It.” Published by Bard Press in June, Maurer’s new book explains the ongoing challenge and contains real-world ideas to help organizations and their leaders realize successful changes.

Maurer says the problem isn’t a lack of knowledge. The years between 1996 and 2010 have brought about substantial increases in change management information and resources to help people lead change effectively. He contends that organizations do not need more workshops, seminars or consultants telling them what to do. Instead, …

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