Robert Ringer has a new book out about taking action. The title is ACTION, nothing happens until something moves. In it, the author states that people are in a constant state of homeostasis. That is, the ability or tendency of an organism or a cell to maintain internal equilibrium by adjusting its physiological processes.
This means that bottom line, we hate change and do almost everything in our power to maintain the status quo. It doesn’t matter if everyone is in agreement that change is necessary, the homeostasis preference trumps the human understanding and desire to change. It’s why change is so difficult for so many.
For project management success, a good program manager needs not only to fight the corporate structure but also the personal desire of stakeholders to cling to the status quo. This is what makes project management, expecially in larger companies such a challenge.