To manage change one must firstly understand what we mean by
the term. Broadly speaking, change can be either:
- gradual/incremental process converting the
organisation to a new state, or
- fundamental/revolutionary - an all encompassing
process completely transforming the business.
The former should be happening frequently over the life of
a business and the latter infrequently. As we shall see at the end
of the article, a successful business is an organic entity, always
on the move with a corporate culture that embraces change (following
the Peters and Waterman model). In such businesses the need for
fundamental revolutionary change is minimised. Both types of change
do, however, have to be carefully managed if the business is to
move successfully from its present to its desired state.
