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People Don’t Resist Change, They Resist Being Changed!

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People Don’t Resist Change, They Resist Being Changed!
People Don’t Resist Change, They Resist Being Changed!
The Impact of Change Management on the Success of Project Management.

Stuart Riley

PJMN501

October 28, 2012

Change Management, if implemented well, has the ability to make transitions positive, possible and profitable. It goes without saying that change is a part of life. From the moment we are born until the moment we pass away, change is occurring in us and around us. That being the case, it needs to be clearly stated that organizations, companies and institutions are much like individuals. No organization is able to exist without the people that work within their walls or the clients that utilize their services or products. If change is inevitable and constant then, why do so many people resist change? I would argue that while some people may be resistant to change, they are more likely to resist the act of being changed. I will discuss why people resist being changed. I will also talk about why some organizations are successful in the art of change management and why some organizations fail miserably. Finally, I will look at the impact of change management on project success or failure using case studies and personal experience. Change is indeed a part of life and change management needs to be recognized as having a significant role in success of any project.
When examining the life cycle of a project, from initiation to closure, we need to be aware and recognize that we are implementing a change at every level. People will be impacted by whatever change is implemented. I would argue that change management has the greatest impact on people in the initiation phase of any project. Before I explain my reasoning for this, I think it is important to understand some of the changes that modern organizations must deal with on a regular basis. A few of the changes they face are market conditions, evolving technologies, increasing customer demands, significant rises in production costs and,

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