It all started when our plane landed at the Palm Springs Airport. Looking out the window, I noticed someone patrolling with a gun. "That's odd," I thought and then I saw exactly what he was guarding: Air Force 1! At that point, the cool factor was still present (the President of the United States was in Palm Springs and I was looking at his airplane).

Unfortunately, the President of the United States was also staying at The Lodge at Rancho Mirage. In case you're wondering, he doesn't travel alone. He has an entourage of advisors, secret service agents, and other handlers. They require their own rooms in the hotel. So whose room did they get? Mine! (Not to be completely self-absorbed: they bumped many people out of the hotel besides me.)

We were lodged 20 minutes away by shuttle van in a pleasant hotel. After one trip, however, the novelty of a long drive, waiting in line to be stopped and searched, and watching a scary-looking German Shepherd sniff vehicles for bombs wore off very quickly.

Every time the President left the resort or returned to the resort, the whole place was locked down. We stood clustered in little groups for up to an hour at times, hoping that we might at least get a glimpse of the leader of our country. That never happened. (I did see California Highway Patrol everywhere and lots of men in black suits with ear phones.)

Someone reported that she saw snipers on the roof. Someone else reported seeing the President's motorcade drive by. Another person reported the rumor that the President had extended his stay by another day. Someone else told me that President Bush was there to attend a political fundraiser that raised $2 million for the Republican Party. Someone else confidently assured us that, as conference guests, we had all been given a security check. Who knows if any of this was true?

I had plenty of time while waiting around to think about the impact of his presence. I compared the experience I was having with that of an employee inside a large organization experiencing a business change:

• I had no information, at first, about why I had to make the change.
  
• I was expected to patiently endure the affects of the change without complaint.
  
• The best (only) source of information seemed to be rumors and hearsay.
  
• When I finally received information, it was only about the mechanics of working around the inconvenience of my changed circumstances.
  
• I had very little power to make my circumstances better.
  
• I happily participated in passing along the rumors—it was a form of entertainment.

Here are some change management suggestions for managers in changing organizations to make it better for their employees:

• Provide as much information as quickly as possible about the reasons for the change.
  
• Acknowledge the negative consequences of change; allow people to vent their feelings.
  
• Give updates throughout the change to minimize people's reliance on the rumor mill (more communication, not less, when things are changing).
  
• Offer support and tangible benefits to counter the negative consequences.
  
• Empower people with resources and tools to make their circumstances better.
  
• Resist passing along hearsay and innuendo.

When we manage others through change, we would do well to remember that the balance of power often shifts. Few of us like to feel that we have little or no control over what's happening to us. Often the behaviors that stem from trying to regain control are not constructive.

If you're a manager, what actions do you recommend for helping people move smoothly through change? if you're an employee, what suggestions do you have for moving through change easily?