Change management. Change curve. Change request. Change control. Change values. Over the past 30 years a whole industry has been created around — yes, you guessed it — the management of managing change.

The challenge for our brains (and our bodies) as we head into the digi-age is the increasing rate of change, both personal and professional. Just as we get a grip on a new concept in business, there's yet another change in process, procedure or product.

It's fair to say that those who adapt earliest to the latest app rule the world. Understanding how change affects the brain is therefore essential to creating an effective framework for our hardworking neural pathways.

Man overboard

Like evolution, change is a continuum. Think of it as an ocean with rips, ebb tides and currents swirling around constantly. Just as we find our feet or begin treading water furiously with one swell of change, another huge wave comes crashing in and we struggle desperately against being dragged under by a powerful rip that pulls us in a new direction.

So it's essential that we understand this: it's the process of effectively managing change, rather than reaching a static end point, that is our goal and achievement.

Our brains, in other words, need a new approach to make effective change happen on a business level. We have to rethink the way we perceive change and, even more, how we perceive other people's reactions to change. Are they drowning or waving?

Look at change from your brain's point of view and you'll soon see exactly why it's so hard for people to embrace it.

Listen to the screech of the violins just as Norman Bates snatches back that shower curtain in Hitchcock's classic 1960 psychological-horror film. It makes your brain want to hide in the cupboard, and if your body doesn't feel like coming along for the ride, too bad. Hitchcock himself admitted that Bernard Hermann's score created ‘33 per cent of the effect of Psycho’.

In the shower scene that harsh, discordant change in the music spells one thing only to our brains: threat. We instinctively fight change. It's not natural, therefore it's bad, right?

Wrong. Not every change leads to Anthony Perkins with a serious case of the Oedipus blues. Change can be very positive and good for us. We look forward to a holiday or a break from work or even a new role. ‘I am so looking forward to a change of routine.’ We enjoy a break in the weather or a change of season. We look forward to the arrival of a new baby or an engagement or a wedding.

That, and do our research on TripAdvisor to choose carefully which motel we decide to check into.

The drama of change

Think of your brain as a TV studio. While we are busy at work, paying attention to our tasks, planning, organising and making decisions, our conscious mind (our prefrontal cortex) is on duty. You could call it the Producer. This part of our brain is metabolically highly active and chews through an enormous amount of energy to get us through our day. It has to make sure the show gets on the air, so to speak.

Meanwhile in the dingy back office, the security guard of the brain, the limbic system incorporating the amygdala, is also on alert. It provides our brain with an automatic alarm to warn us if it recognises we might be in danger.

Much like real TV studio security, because it's a little dark and the TV monitors are a bit grainy, the system picks up a lot of false alarms. The brain doesn't mind, though, because it's safety first at all times.

Those limbic security guards are all about draw first, ask questions later. There'll be plenty of time to check on the validity of the alarm afterwards.

This survival system is responsible in large part for our continuing evolutionary success. In fact, it's perhaps even more significant now than in the past, because our limbic system sees threats everywhere. Why? Because it's triggered by novelty. There weren't a lot of technological changes in Bedrock. Now? We are constantly being introduced to new tasks, people, environments and, of course, digital capabilities.

Back to our scheduled program. Imagine that our Producer — our prefrontal cortex — is busily completing a new script sign-off and at the same time organising the scene set for the evening news. The Security Chief — the anterior cingulate cortex — notes that something new has been picked up on our cerebral screen. This, in turn, alerts the amygdala bovver boys and leads to a cascade of events we know as the stress response.

Simultaneously, the weatherman arrives and hears the alarm go off. He is our emotions, which in this case will have a negative charge — fear, anxiety, uncertainty. The forecast for our business thinking? Not a lot of sunshine.

Fear is the emotion associated with the physiological preparations our body makes before deciding on whether to fight or flee. A racing pulse. Pounding heart. Sweaty skin. Clawing tension in the gut. We ask ourselves what we need to do to stay safe.

In a business context, our brain may make all kinds of rationalisations:

• ‘Just ignore it. If we keep a low profile, the boss will choose someone else to present at the monthly meeting.’
• ‘Taking on that new role might mean having to move to a different location away from family and friends.’
• ‘What were you thinking, putting yourself forward for promotion? You might fail!’
• ‘Don't agree to that proposal because it's going to take a lot of work and time you just don't have.’
• ‘Don't go there, because others might see you for the impostor you are.’

Worse still, the more active the Security Chief amygdala is, the harder it is to keep control of a situation. Greater limbic activity reduces access to our prefrontal cortex (PFC). So if the Producer isn't in charge, what happens to the show?

Luckily we can use our conscious awareness of what the limbic system is doing and learn to override the threat.

It's not about dismissing the importance of staying safe. It's about using our brain's ability to keep the PFC and limbic system in balance.

The need for long-life batteries

Another thing to know about our brain in relation to change is that it will do almost anything to conserve energy. This means not expending energy wastefully on thinking tasks that don't warrant it. Instead we package up those thoughts, actions and behaviours into our habits and rituals in the part of the brain known as the basal ganglia. You could perhaps think of it as the newsreader, delivering packages by rote from the TV studio.

This conserves our mental energy and allows us to get on with our daily activities. After all, there are only so many ways to say ‘Good evening, and welcome to the news’.

Our brain knows we don't need to waste cognitive energy on paying conscious attention to how we get out of bed, put on our clothes and put the kettle on. We create these habits to let us focus on the more important stuff.

Which is why changing them can be problematic. Our habits serve a purpose, so unless we have a pretty good reason to change, they stay firmly embedded in the basal ganglia (see figure 9.1). Fortunately for us we can, if we know how, effect habit change. Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, advises that to break a habit requires us to recognise the cue and reward linked to the habit, and substitute a new routine.

The soothing balm of habit

One other benefit that habits confer on our brain is they help to reduce stress. Because habits mostly operate at a subconscious level, we don't pay them much attention so we don't stress about what we are doing. Keeping stress levels down is crucial for successful change.

Changing a habit involves an equation of sorts:

Change = the effort it takes to bring a habit to our level of conscious awareness + the firmness of the decision to change that habit.

This is crucial because if we fail to give ourselves permission to change, it won't happen, and we multiply our brain's inability to cope with change.

When it comes to behavioural change, what we are really asking our brain to do is to consider something new (a huge threat) and to put in the time, effort and practice for a new way of doing. We are asking our brain to create new neural pathways that will ultimately become the preferred way of operating — until the next change comes along.

In 1995 John Kotter, a Harvard professor and leading expert in change management, reported the average success rate of change strategy as around 30 per cent. Since that time, innumerable books about change management and programs have been produced. In 2010 a review in McKinsey Quarterly examining what progress had been made to increase the success rate revealed that the answer was none!

Does this mean we are highly resistant to change and should probably all just go home and forget about it? No, because change is essential as an adaptive process that leads to growth and opportunity. We need to examine how we approach change, and we can do this more effectively today because of what has been learned about the neuroscience of change.

As we've already discussed, we are in a world that is moving ever faster, adapting more and more rapidly to new technology, systems and production methods. We exchange information and news in a matter of seconds with just a few keystrokes. The need is not just to keep abreast of change but to know how to lead effective change, and to thrive.

The problem with change

The biggest obstacle to change is — you guessed it — us. We are our own worst enemies. Our brains and our bodies conspire to make change the worst thing since … well, imagine the very worst thing you can think of, and that's what change is like.

• It's tiring. It requires that the brain use a lot of mental energy.
• It's hard work. It needs a great deal of effort.
• It can be hard to achieve. Yes, it's difficult to imagine, but not everyone is going to share your vision for change.
• It can be scary. We are very good at frightening ourselves with the prospect of failure, or even success and the uncertainty that brings.
• It can be lonely. Initiating change can make us feel isolated unless others support us in our quest.
• It can actually be ‘wrong’. Sometimes our great idea turns out not to be so great, in fact maybe a terrible mistake. Change always includes an element of risk.

Given all these reasons why change is problematic, it's vital to remind ourselves of the benefits change can bring to ourselves and to others:

• personal growth. Overcoming the challenges of change brings a sense of achievement and expands our thinking about our capabilities, confidence and competence.
• flexibility. Being adaptable creates greater mental flexibility to handle ongoing change. As the pace of change continues to ramp up, having the flexibility to adapt rapidly to new environments, situations and challenges when things turn to custard is a huge advantage.
• broadening perspective. We create our reality through the filters of our perception. If we never check that we are using the right lens on our camera, the images we produce may be out of focus or washed out or miss the target completely. Keeping a wide-angle lens on means we can keep sight of the bigger picture and take in all possible variations and alternatives.

Being flexible means being adaptive and supple and engaging fully in the process. Part of that is ensuring there are no unnecessary obstacles in our way. As with distractions, these come in external and internal forms.

External obstacles to change

These include people, such as your family, friends and colleagues. They may be concerned for your safety and welfare. They don't want to see you get hurt so they actively discourage you from attempting risky change.

Others, of course, will have their own agenda on why they may not wish you to succeed. Perhaps they feel threatened. If you are successful in losing weight, or giving up smoking or alcohol, or taking up some form of exercise, they may feel bad about themselves.

Families, kids, partners can all have expectations of what normal family life and routine entails, and if the changes you want are likely to impact on them, they may resist. Be aware of this and understand that not all external obstacles are within our control.

Internal obstacles to change

This is where how we think and our brain fitness come into play. Things to consider here include mindset and willpower, expectations (of others and ours of ourselves), biases, beliefs, emotion and mood.

Having that brilliant idea can get us all revved up. We can see what a brilliant solution it is. If everyone were to adopt our great idea, we could change the world.

So the day comes when you get to present Your Brilliant New Idea. You've written the presentation, drawn up lots of models, spoken enthusiastically about all the benefits and showcased the Idea.

Except it doesn't bring the reaction you expected. In fact, it falls completely flat. Your colleagues aren't the slightest bit impressed by your rhetoric and examples of how it could work so brilliantly. They don't buy it at all. How can that be? How can they possibly refute all your careful arguments that together create such a compelling and convincing case?

Like any well-prepared negotiator, you will have to demonstrate to your colleagues what's in it for them and how your idea will not cause harm or lead to potential danger.

You will face these internal obstacles. If you don't want to be paralysed by them, a mentor, coach or buddy can provide you with the social support you need to persevere.

Project change

All change is different, but the basic factors that contribute to successful change strategy are the same.

Having made the decision that a change is needed, desired and possible, and having granted yourself permission to change, you're ready to take the first steps.

Above all else, know your why

Communicating clearly why the change is needed and desirable, and the benefit it will bring to those affected, will convince people to buy into the idea. Once all stakeholders feel they have joint ownership of the proposed changes, they will help get the change implemented. In his book Start With Why, Simon Sinek talks about how knowing our why in business, work or life is what matters, not what we do.

When Peter Baines, a former police forensic specialist from New South Wales, found himself in Thailand following the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 to help with victim identification, he realised that there was a generation of orphaned children left homeless with no one to care for them. His why was to establish the charity organisation Hands Across the Water to make a difference to the lives of those kids.

There are many charities that do amazing work for others. What makes Peter's charity stand out from the crowd is that rather than just telling others what they do, the story is all about why this organisation makes a difference.

Share the vision

The change leader, or introducer of the idea, has to paint a picture of the future that is BIG, BOLD and CLEAR. Clarity removes confusion and fear, and helps to establish trust and certainty.

The message has to be articulated clearly, openly and repeatedly. Providing a platform for reflection gives people space to consider how the change will impact them and help the company or business.

The online shoe company Zappos has become the poster child for change management. Today Zappos is known as much for its tagline ‘Delivering Happiness’ as for its shoes. The company has 10 core values that it lives, eats and breathes by:

• Deliver WOW through service.
• Embrace and deliver change.
• Create fun and a little weirdness.
• Be adventurous, creative and open minded.
• Pursue growth and learning.
• Build open and honest relationships with communication.
• Build a positive team and family spirit.
• Do more with less.
• Be passionate and determined.
• Be humble.

The transparency and clarity of the message has contributed to making Zappos a highly desirable place to work. The company's continuing success owes much to the culture that has evolved through the transparency and authenticity of the vision created by its leaders.

Make the change framework commercially collaborative

No one will help the change process if it is seen as too hard. When an architect works with a client, they draft a plan of the house that the client wants, that the builder is capable of building and that council will agree is environmentally acceptable. So it is for the change leader. It's about putting together the right team to work together, which takes the pressure off an individual and spreads the load.

Take the first step, then the next

You have worked out the framework complete with timeline and expected implementation dates. No change will be successful until the plan is implemented, but do it in stages. By chunking down the change into smaller pieces, any associated threats are reduced.

As with any meal, whether you are about to eat an elephant or a hamster, it all starts with that first bite, and it is consumed one bite at a time. Savouring that meal slowly allows us to enjoy the positives along the way.

Create co-owners of the idea

Back to Zappos as an example of how the transparency and clarity of the message contributes to making it a highly desirable place to work. The company's continuing success owes much to the culture that has evolved whereby employees care so much about ‘delivering happiness’ that they go out of their way to make it happen.

Zappos has abolished the corporate hierarchy, so everyone in the company has an equal voice. Everyone feels safe to give their opinion or share ideas that might benefit their workmates, the company or their customers. If others agree, they lend their support.

At work, hearing praise from a trusted colleague about another person and their ideas offers us the social proof we may need to be persuaded to join in the fun. Co-owners of an idea are worth their weight in gold.

Celebrate progress along the way

Progress towards change needs to be visible, reportable, measurable and celebrated. The greatest motivators of change are not incentives, bonuses or positive feedback (though they can help). The successful progress of the project gives the greatest satisfaction.

Stay flexible

Change itself can change. The initial desired outcome may, on later review, require tweaking, reworking or even abandoning. The final goal always needs to remain flexible.

Adopting a culture of change

Reinforcing change requires mental flexibility and a constant awareness of how our own cognitive biases can influence our thinking.

At both an individual and organisational level, developing change ability is key to how we deal with ongoing change in the future. We can use brain science to shift our perspective on how we view potential change and implement effective change strategies.

Change is a two-way street, so change management is about learning how to reduce the threat state that change induces, and regulating the emotional response in ourselves and others.

Change is also all about how people feel. Conversations about change may be difficult and require courage. However hard, it is these conversations that help shift people into a ‘towards’ state of change acceptance and buy-in.

Walter McFarland points out that change is never linear and sequential; it is non-linear and chaotic. Managing change enables us to move in the direction of our choice.

While the pace of change can feel overwhelming, rapid change is nothing new. As we continue to adapt and evolve, this apparent craziness will feel less overwhelming when we see how we can choose our response. Instead of being panicked into outright rejection or paralysed by fear into inaction, we have the option of considering those ways that will enable an appropriate and timely shift in our behaviour to allow the change to develop.

Change is good: It drives growth and innovation, and it expands our thinking. Times are changing, so our brains need to change and adapt too.