The phrase “change management” has been widely referenced across the private and public sectors for decades.  Librarians have embraced and executed objectives based upon change management concepts in no small measure due to the inherent agility, adaptability and futures thinking of the professional. From the nacent World Wide Web to the current multi-faceted scope of the internet, librarians have been at the forefront of investigating, teaching and delivering work product based on expert knowledge of this global system of interconnected networks. Today’s internet also presents a myriad of challenges to our profession, including the management of massive metadata sets and collections, progressively diminishing access to print sources (i.e., libraries), pay-walls that impede critical information access to the public, as well the growth of the Deep Web and the high velocity impact of social media on all areas of our personal and professional lives. With this in mind I share the following from McKinsey – Research tells us that most change efforts fail. Yet change methodologies are stuck in a predigital era. It’s high time to start catching up.

• “Change management as it is traditionally applied is outdated. We know, for example, that 70 percent of change programs fail to achieve their goals, largely due to employee resistance and lack of management support. We also know that when people are truly invested in change it is 30 percent more likely to stick. While companies have been obsessing about how to use digital to improve their customer-facing businesses, the application of digital tools to promote and accelerate internal change has received far less scrutiny. However, applying new digital tools can make change more meaningful—and durable—both for the individuals who are experiencing it and for those who are implementing it. The advent of digital change tools comes at just the right time. Organizations today must simultaneously deliver rapid results and sustainable growth in an increasingly competitive environment. They are being forced to adapt and change to an unprecedented degree: leaders have to make decisions more quickly; managers have to react more rapidly to opportunities and threats; employees on the front line have to be more flexible and collaborative. Mastering the art of changing quickly is now a critical competitive advantage…”