Why Is Change So Difficult?
March 20, 2013 - 3:00am
Patrick Sanaghan, Mary Hinton and Steve Riccio
The term "stealth change" can be used to describe how things seem to be accomplished in higher education. These are incremental changes over time that eventually accumulate and yield a significant shift. Unfortunately, and often without coherence, the major change that is introduced lacks little support or campus awareness.

Recently, one of the authors spoke to an aspiring group of medical school deans on navigating the complexities of change. Their question: "Why is meaningful change so difficult to achieve?" They weren’t interested in change "theories" which we are all too familiar with, but in results-based, practical methods to guide future initiatives.

Conversations such as these are beginning to penetrate higher education as boards, presidents and other senior leaders all understand that change is a prerequisite for surviving and thriving in this era of uncertainty. John Kotter, a well-respected professor from Harvard University, as well as other researchers, tell us that about 70 percent of all of change efforts fail. Given that there are many dedicated, smart, diligent people framing the long-term strategies of our colleges and universities, why so few victories?

To provide context, we are thinking primarily about large-scale change efforts that impact the entire institution. For example, among the major change efforts we’ve witnessed include presidential transitions, major capital projects, developing comprehensive online programs, one-stop shopping for students, admissions criteria, institutional policies and procedures, and crafting a long- term or strategic plan. Each of these efforts require a fundamental shift in how a college functions.

The following is what we consider, based on our experiences, to be the top six reasons why change is so difficult