|
 |
In previous articles, I have talked in general about business continuity and its benefits and costs, perceived and real, and I mentioned some cultural and geographical issues that you may need to overcome to get things done. It is not uncommon to be faced with a list of arguments as to why you should not implement a continuity strategy. I’ve heard them all over the years. More people than should be are resistant to change. Either through, fear, ignorance, ambition, laziness, or just plain stubbornness, when you bring your people together to start spreading the message, you will face resistance, either openly or, more often, covertly and subtly.
As I write this, over 99% of all companies do not have a formal continuity plan. Can they all be wrong? Let me share with you one such story that I tell to overcome the arguments against change.
THE PRINTING PRESS
During the Wars of the Roses, Edward IV found himself exiled for a brief time in Bruges. Penniless, he was befriended and supported by a businessman, William Caxton. When Edward returned to England, he repaid Caxton by bringing him and his invention, the printing press, to London. There was much opposition to the new printing device, including such powerful organizations as the Church, but the people most threatened by this move were the scriveners.
A scrivener’s job was to write. By the standards of the day, it was a well paying and respected job. The scriveners had a very powerful union, the Guild of Stationers. Recognizing the threat that the printing press represented to their livelihood, they protested and went on strike.
History shows that the scriveners lost their battle against progress but they did not disappear from the world entirely. They reinvented themselves as notaries, accountants, and lawyers. Caxton’s printing press bought literature such as The Canterbury tales and Le Morte D’Athur to the masses. It also spurred the creation of new jobs in the paper and printing industries. Bookstores and universities sprang up. The world became more literate.
Given the outpouring and sharing of knowledge and change that followed, it would be hard to argue that the invention of the printing press was not a good thing for mankind, even if a few scriveners were displaced by it.
Category: ManagementOvercoming Opposition to Change was written by:Author:Roy WestonAdded: Tue, 07 Aug 2007 14:00:34 -0400 This Article Has Been Read 272 times View all Roy Weston's articlesAbout the Author: Roy T. Weston is a business continuity management consultant and writer. His track record includes consulting and systems work for Fortune 500 companies in the USA and in Europe. His assignments include that of CEO at the management consulting group, BCG Consulting, Inc. Roy is the author of the management book: "A COMPLETE AND UTTER DISASTER: Putting the business back into business continuity: ISBN-0-7414-2500-9". |
More Articles About Management
Not What You Were Looking For?
 Moxie Drive Expressions
 Submit Articles
 Contact us
Add us to favorites
Hint - Hold "T" button down and right click to open Sphinn and Subbmitt in a new window. 
|