This year, I got the best birthday present: a brand-new dishwasher!
It was long overdue. Our old one was 20 years old, loud, and barely cleaned the dishes. It had served its time, and it was ready to retire.
We splurged on a high-end model: quiet, powerful, and built to last. I was thrilled after the install and couldn’t wait to test it out.
But then came the unexpected resistance… from my almost two-year-old twins.
They pointed at the new dishwasher and said, “No no no!” repeatedly. They hated it.
My first thought? “Girls! Your mom is a change management consultant—we embrace change in this house!”
So we sat down together. I tried to show them that the new dishwasher wasn’t scary—it was amazing! It would make life easier. But of course, toddlers don’t care about efficient dishwashing. Why would they? It doesn’t change their day-to-day. They liked the old dishwasher. It was familiar. It was their normal.
It wasn’t until I let them put their animal magnets on the front that they started to warm up to it. Why? Because now it benefited them.
And that’s when it hit me—this is exactly what happens in Organizational Change Management.
As leaders, we often see the big-picture benefits of a new system, process, or initiative. But not everyone in the organization is impacted by the change in the same way. What feels like progress to us might feel like disruption to others.
That’s why defining the “Why” and clearly communicating the positive impact is critical. Change can feel scary—until people understand how it benefits them.
So while my daughters and I are excited about our new dishwasher for different reasons, we’re both bought in now.
And yes—we’re officially Team Bosch.