However, this is the second or third article I have seen written on the AIIM Community website that suggest the older generation – my generation – is the problem. I think this is a copout.

I have been involved in hundreds of ECM/BPM implementations dating back to the middle 80’s. These systems were driven by the baby boomers that some of the (insert any label you would like here) generation would like to suggest that we should wait until the baby boomers retire before we pursue implementing any new system that will change the way we do things. This is baloney!

The baby boomers are the generation that created the ECM/BPM industry not the ones that are slowing it down.

After reading your friends words of wisdom I would suggest he may be part of the problem not the solution.

He does not state what methodology is he is using, therefore, we do not know if he has a sponsor that is driving this projects. No sponsor = end of story.

He states that “People aren’t willing to tell me what they actually do everyday”. Then in bold “My guess is because they do very little and know that everything they do could be automated if the system wasn’t 25 years old”.

My advice to your friend is to get off his butt and go observe what they are doing. You cannot get accurate information by e-mailing, texting or even having a work session in a conference room.
My experience is that most people, regardless of their age, want to be part of the solution. In fact, my experience is they are never asked.

Since, you asked for suggestions here is mine.
1) Make sure you have a sponsor that has a business objective that must be solved – no objective or problem no solution required.
2) Observe the current process and ask the people who are performing the tasks why they are performing each step in the process. Ask then what problems they are encountering, this is the only way I have found you will get an in-depth understating of each activity. If you do not understand the current process how can you articulate how it can be improved?
3) Once the deficiencies are identified have a session that involves the end-users on how to improve the process.

Communication is the key. If the person(s) conducting the analysis cannot effectively communicate with all of the participants in the process – regardless of their age - nothing will change.

People don't hate change per se. Most people would not hate a change that made them independently wealthy. In fact, people play the lottery specifically hoping for a drastic change.

It's more that people fear the unknown. If they hate a change, it's probably because they don't understand the implications of it for their job or personal life, not because it's a change. Given a lack of information, it's a common defense mechanism to imagine the worst. This is where OCM plays a key role. Clearly small changes are easier to communicate and comprehend than large ones, but I don't believe there's any inherent superiority of small changes over large ones -- at root it's not really the size of the change but the understanding of it that makes the difference.

I'd agree that most people are resistant to change, regardless of why it's happening, but I don't agree that they hate it. The situation your friend from the California state government describes may apply to an entrenched bureaucracy, but not necessarily to a business environment (whether private or public). My experience with these types of transitions is that those people using the existing systems & processes often can't answer questions about what they do because:

1) They don't know why things were set up the way they are;
2) They're so accustomed to the current systems/processes that most of what they do has become habitual and no longer reaches their conscious awareness.

Most people don't like to feel inept or ignorant. With existing systems they know what to do and, despite inefficiences, can enjoy a degree of satisfaction from their mastery of its operations. When sytems/processes change, they lose that satisfaction and have to go through the pain and discomfort of not knowing what to do or how to solve problems.

Those are understandable human reactions, but I wouldn't characterize them as hatred.

There will always be a minority who resist change regardless of the reasons for it. But I've found that when they understand why things are changing, and recognize their role in helping the changes to succeed, most are willing to go through the stages of discomfort and want to participate in being a part of the solution.