Problems with Change
You continue your new job at Slack Inc (SI). Your job is to work to support a contract SI has keeping an old Library running. The city didn't want to support the old Library any longer, but did not want to close it. For this reason, they contracted running the library to SI.
The Library is wonderful. A beautiful old building, antique woodworking and trim, and simply full of books. It's all paper, not like modern libraries who have CDs, DVDs, and lots of other media. It also has a big section of very old rare books. It's the only place like it.
You found out when you started that there were only 2 years left on the contract to keep it open. SI had the option to restructure support now and make it less expensive and the city said they would award another 5-year contract, but as the cost stands now, it would have to close at the end of this contract in 2 years.
SI came up with some options that could reduce costs, cutting back the operating hours, shutting down a few of the lesser used sections, reducing the staff onsite etc. Then SI presented these options to the staff operating the Library. The Library staff all agreed to continue on as they had been and shutdown in 2 years.
How could this be? Why wouldn't anyone want to try a few changes and see if we could get another contract. This is difficult to understand. The arguments on both sides have validity, but why not even 1 person voted to try and reduce cost was a puzzle.
During lunch you were wondering about this out loud. One seasoned SI employee walked over and said, "I guess you haven't seen this yet." Then he pointed at a quote framed on the wall in the corner of the kitchen. You look at the frame and it reads,
The New Idea Rule
-If you have a new idea, ask yourself one question. "Would this idea cause any change?" If the answer is "Yes", then it is a bad idea.
If you are thinking you have an idea about what to do with this rule, read the rule again.
Huh, you think, that is pretty absurd. A lot of people fear change, but that's a little ridiculous. The person who pointed the sign out to you walks over again. "Does it make sense now?"
You, "I think I have more questions than before."
The old man said, "Take a walk with me, I will explain."
The two of you leave the lunchroom and start walking down the hall. The old man starts talking.
"There are a lot of people that work here, and many that have worked here a long long time. The one common thing that all these people have is that they have some sort of "situation" that makes working here worthwhile. It doesn't pay the most, it's not cutting edge, you don't work here to advance your career, so why do people work here? I call this peoples "deal". Everybody has a different deal. For some it’s the fact that they can pick up their kids from school every day, or start work at 11am, or work 30 hours and call it 40. Whatever people's deal is, it's why they are here. If the deal goes away, then they will go away. When they suggested changing things for the library it was going to change everyone's deal who worked there. So basically, they were asking "Do you want to change your deal now, or in 2 years?" Everybody picked "In 2 years".
You, "But that's not necessarily what's best for the company or what's best for the Library."?
The old man, "No. If you want people to pick what's best for those things then they have to make it be what's best for the people too."