Change management: understanding and harnessing creative diversity

We can be adaptive or innovative in our cognitive thinking styles, and both are required for effective change management. Differences are not viewed positively and where key individuals diverge greatly from the group norm, they tend to leave, increasing the probability of corporate failure. Paradigms are defined and the divergent approach to paradigms of adaptors and innovators set out. Two case studies are detailed. One company had a successful business paradigm, which is being eroded, by having too adaptive an approach by key decision takers. The other company is successfully globalising but increasingly driven by a change paradigm that causes considerable inefficiency and the demotivation of adaptive staff. The article concludes by suggesting that a team approach will ensure the successful harnessing of creative diversity.