Breaking the change barrier

Oracle took a big hit in profits this quarter as more and more of their clients move to the cloud.  Larry Elison doesn’t seem worried- but maybe he should be.  

I have no idea if Oracle’s cloud is any good.  Nor do I have any idea if their competitors are any better.  But I do know about change.  And the thing that is the hardest part of change is breaking the barrier.

Most people will choose unhappiness over uncertainty.  Even more so in the enterprise.  Change is big and hard and cumbersome and time consuming and almost never someone’s core job.  So for most companies, if they don’t love- even if they don’t like- their current solution they will stick with it because changing seems tougher.

But once you HAVE to change, typically, anything is on the table.

Microsoft has had the same problem with Windows 8.  The change from Windows 7 to Windows 8 was SO dramatic that upgrading became a hassle for users no matter what.  And so, once faced with an inevitable hassle, why not consider a Mac? (Answer- many have.)

Oracle having a cloud offering isn't a sufficient answer.  For Oracle’s clients, moving to even Oracle’s cloud is a big enough change that for many will make them reconsider everything.  It’s not just about “cloud” versus “hosted.”  Once the change barrier is broken, the difference between changing to one provider from another is so much smaller.

It’s a lesson all change leaders must be aware of- the hardest part is breaking the change barrier in the first place.  But once broken, the options become much more fluid.

Of course, as a change leader, this can be your advantage.  Once you make the change inevitable, you will find the resistance lowered and all you have to do is debate the options.

Whether you’re trying to maintain the status quo or drive change, the change barrier is key.