CIO — "Top management support!" Everybody who's selling a new method or system says that this is the key to success. As your monthly curmudgeon, I say that if you have to ask for it, you don't deserve it.

"How's the mileage on that yacht?"

"If you have to ask, you can't afford it!"

The same applies to top management support. If you feel you need it, something deeper is fundamentally wrong. And unless you address the root causes, even having top management behind you won't save your project. Of course, if top management is against you, that's a whole different story. In that case, you either sell top management or pack up and go home.

But I contend that a good idea combined with a good change process shouldn't have to depend on top management support. This month's column reflects on the fundamentals of change management, and the roles that top management should and should not play in bringing about meaningful change.

Why People Request Top Management Support
Generally, the cry for top management support means that someone is trying to implement some change—to be specific, trying to get others to change—and is running into resistance. It may be that IT is "sponsoring" an IT project—ERP, for example—and clients are resisting. Or it may be that well-meaning change agents or "process owners" are trying to force change on IT staff.

When faced with resistance to "The Right Thing To Do" from the very people they're trying to help, some change agents ask top management to command people to accept the change; ergo: the plea for top management support.

Why It's Dangerous to Depend on Top Management Support
Note that, in the last paragraph, I said "accept" the change, not "support" the change. There's no chance of support. Once people are set against a change, top management cannot command them to modify what's in their hearts. All that change agents can reasonably ask of top management is to compel unwilling compliance.

Consider this: I want you to help me put a hurdle (or so you see it) right in the middle of the door to your office. You'll have to climb over it every time you come and go. Sure, you hear me saying that this will be good for the shareholders. But be honest with yourself; how do you feel about this project?

Wait, before you get uppity, let me explain that your boss's boss supports the Hurdles project, and even commands you to cooperate.

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