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About Opponents and Allies

It's been a while since I wrote an article. That's because there were so many interesting project going on, it's only know I got time to reflect from outside these projects.

When giving training, I always get comments on the change management model I'm using:

It's a model I learned in the early days of my career when getting change management training as 'high potential' - and I'm talking about training in the previous century. I'm all about handling people individually, and strive for the common goal, and I'm so against labeling associates and putting them in categories.
But this model resonated at that time, and it still does.

Last month I got two situations, in different companies. This blog describes the first one.

My opponent
In the first company I defended an implementation of integrated quality management systems, where the certificate would be only a side effect of a good way of working. On the other side, there were associates not knowing this type of integrated quality management systems, and really in favor of putting paper signed documents on a shared infrastructure. This opinion also had to do with the regulated industry we were working in.

(there will be yet another blog article on quality management system maturity and how to handle that on a latter date)

Since I, and also one of the persons having a difference of opinion are passionate, we kept being professional, but we stated our opinions straightforward as we saw them. Other people kept quiet

For outside people, this was a strange experience.
A vice president of the company wondered how our relationship was, and that it reminded her as if that other person and I were acting as brother and sister.

It is the first time I got the observation named as this, but in the end, this is a big compliment: because it confirms what it is. Me and that other person are opponents on this matter. But below that difference in opinion there is trust and mutual respect - what I also pronounced explicit.
The VP nodded and added 'and you're working for the same common goal'.

So you can even deepen this chart of saboteurs, enemies, opponents and allies. And the best way to thrive your company is to have your associates allied in a common goal, but have a healthy mix in opponents on approaches. Don't force all your associates to be allies in that matter as well, because opponents enrich the discussions, make sure situations are observed from different angles, making sure the best solution at a certain time is implemented !

There is one risk though: being opponents can be frustrating if the context such as this change management project is not given. So if you observe a situation like this, share this with your opponents...