4) Know staff limits: Recognize when to stop pushing changes and be able to spot staffers who are unable or unwilling to change.

5) Slow down: Give personnel a chance to absorb one round of changes beofre imposing another.

Imposing core systems and operations across an organization may prove less complicated, but it can also be downright painful for employees.

-- McAdams is a freelance writer in Vienna, Va. Contact her at jjwriterva@aol.com.