Why Do Programs or Promises Of Change Almost Always Fail?

Why is sustainable or permanent behavioural change, personal or organisational, so difficult?

Corporates, business and institutions spend a fortune on training and development, people spend a ton on learning and personal development, and most of it doesn’t take hold ... why?

Billions make relatively simple New Year resolutions, something like taking a bit of exercise more regularly or of changing the way they eat. Stand back, these are not outrageously complex or difficult objectives, yet how much of it translates into real permanent change.

Hardly any ... why?

We can change the what, we can even change the how but if we don’t transform the why, the chances of sustainable or permanent change are slim to nothing.

Changing the 'what' works quickly, but doesn't stick.

Changing the 'how' is more complex and sticks a little longer, but the 'what' still needs to be worked on.

Change the 'why' and a sustainable shift is created, but it's complex and the 'how' and the 'what' still need to be worked on. And systems quickly need to be develop embedding and holding the new patterns.

Change programs fail or achieve limited success because they fail to transform the why. Admittedly the why is seriously tricky to work with which is precisely why it's ignored and why change programs almost always fail.

What

How

Why

And that's the easy part, because ...

There are levels and bundles of why and it's an on going process. This is why it's as important to learn or teach people how to expose, work with and transform the why's, on their own. 

Which is why you need to be very clear about why you want to do it, to begin with.  Sustainable change is usually driven by either big dreams or big pain.