Change Management Insights

Recently I had a conversation about the use of sports analogies and language in business. It was surprising how much the language of business is grounded in the language of sport. I have stopped counting the number of times I hear someone use a sports analogy when talking about business, organizational change, or her team. I frequently use a sports metaphor to describe a concept, despite not being a sports enthusiast.

Many leaders and most articles talk about a particular person or group of people as “being resistant to change.” It is viewed as an inevitable part of the change process or a personality or group trait. I frequently hear leaders say, “I like change, but my employees don’t.”  As if they are somehow different or more agreeable to change than their employees.

When I bring up the idea of mindfulness with my clients, I can still get a few eye rolls. I have had leaders refer to it as fluffy or soft. Although I have noticed that’s been changing over the past few years. One reason for the change is the overwhelming amount of evidence demonstrating the concrete benefits of mindfulness. The economic and human benefits of practicing mindfulness in the workplace are hard to ignore.