What Hot Dog Buns Teach Us About Managing Change

When I read recently that the Heinz Ketchup Canada organization has started to gather petition names to end the hot dog packaging mismatch, I laughed out loud.

The scene in this video came immediately to mind.

Steve Martin (aka as George Banks) in The Father of the Bride going ballistic in a grocery store.

Because he doesn’t want to pay for the extra buns he doesn’t need.

I’ve often wondered myself  – “why don’t hot dog buns packages contain the same number of buns that we get in hot dog packages?”

It seems that originally, hot dogs were sold in packages of eight.  Buns were baked in pans of eight.

And then beginning in the 1940’s, hot dogs began being sold in packs of ten.

And only God knows why.

But the baking process of the buns never changed  –  the eight count hot dog bun baking pan still remains the most popular today.

And that’s absurd.

And that’s the change management lesson.

How was the key stakeholders voice (i.e. you and I as consumers) incorporated into this change?

It wasn’t.

I can’t imagine we would have voted for the 8 count hot dog buns package.

Wouldn’t the baking companies who sell packages of 10 buns vs. 8 buns find themselves selling more, not less, than their competitors because they are meeting a core need of their consumer?

Not to mention how they would help the larger globe by reducing food waste.

How many unused hot dog buns have you throw away?

Well, it seems there are a lot of George Banks’ stakeholder types out there who are agreeing with this.

The number of signatures on the petition is growing.

The voice of your stakeholders is a key component to making your change stick.

And making it profitable.

Yes, you can decree that your stakeholder uses the new change.

You can say we’re going to only sell 8 buns at a time.  We’re going to force you to buy two packages instead of one.

But how happy will you stakeholders really be?

Will they become your advocates or your enemies?

If you want to release real change, creating situations where your stakeholders willingly make the decision to change, you must create the change to accommodate their personal needs.

They will in turn repay you by singing your praises and selling your change for you.

So to all the baking companies out there, I put forth this challenge.

Start selling 10 count hot dog bun packages.

And to you, my readers….

I dare you not to smile the next time you bite into that hot dog.

I dare you not to think of this little lesson on managing change!

Or maybe….

Just eat hamburgers instead!

Tricia Steege, CEO of Transformation Strategies, helps leaders to “release real change” that transforms their businesses by addressing the people side of change. Learn more about our services at www.transformstrat.com