Leading Through Change Britt Andreatta Ph D

Leading Through Change Britt Andreatta, Ph. D.

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.

Why Study Change? § Successful organizations must continually change § Change will impact the members of an organization ~ impact will be positive or negative § Leaders can and should facilitate the process § Effective facilitation can maximize success for both organization and people

Change (Really) Is Everywhere “If you’re in a bad situation, don’t worry, it’ll change. If you’re in a good situation, don’t worry, it’ll change. ” ~ Vanilla Sky, 2001 “He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery. ” ~ Harold Wilson “Every passing moment is a chance to turn it all around. ” ~ John A. Simone, Sr.

Know Change, Know Success “Growth is the only evidence of life. ” ~ John Henry Newman, “It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory. ” ~ W. Edwards Deming “Those who expect moments of change to be comfortable and free of conflict have not learned their history. ” ~ Joan Wallach Scott

35 Years of Change § 1976: 50, 000 computers existed § 1996: 50, 000 computers installed daily § 1999 -2002: New stored information grew about 30% a year § 2003: The WWW contained about 170 terabytes of information on it surface— 17 x size of Library of Congress print collections § 2003: About 5 billion instant messages (IM) generated/day § 2007: ~233 million people in the US have cell-phone service § 2010: i. Pad hits the market, along with kinetic batteries, body tracking gaming devices, and 3 D television § 2013: i. Phone 5 is 20% lighter & thinner than i. Phone 4 S, putting massive computing power in our pockets

“Let’s say you’re going to a party, so you pull out some pocket change and buy a little greeting card that plays ‘Happy Birthday’ when it’s opened… After the party, someone casually tosses the card into the trash… throwing away more computer power than existed in the entire world before 1950. ” ~John Huey, Fortune (1994)

The New Frontier “[By] 1991, nearly 1 out of 3 American workers had been with their employer for less than a year… Going, if not yet gone, are the 9 -5 workdays, lifetime jobs, predictable, hierarchical relationships, corporate culture security blankets… Constant training, retraining, job-hopping, and even career-hopping, will become the norm” ~ Mary O’Hara-Devereaux & Robert Johansen, Global Work: Bridging Distance, Culture and Time

Perception of problem Implementation Definition Organized Change Process Planning Decision making Analysis Generation of alternatives Evaluation

Styles for Driving Change PUSH PULL Coercive Directive Consultative Collaborative

Change / Transition For our discussion of leading through change, we see: § Change as a structural, unemotional process » Lamar is promoted to Vice President, Sales • Job description • Organizational chart § Transition as a psychological process involving the intellect and emotions » Lamar is thrilled to be promoted so highly » He is very sentimental about her old co-workers and surroundings

The Change Curve Four stages: 1. Status quo 2. Disruption 3. Exploration 4. Rebuilding

Kubler-Ross Change Curve

Symptoms of Change § Possible emotional reactions to change fear hope anxiety relief happiness anger sadness denial exhilaration worry disbelief § Change is Work § Still, change has myriad positive and appropriate applications

Effective Change Management

Why do People Change? Cf. Dx. Vx. F>PC Jeff Evans, Ph. D. , The Gaian Group

Motivation to Change § People inherently do not resist change. They do strongly resist being changed. Don’t try to implement change yourself; motivate others to change themselves. § Create dissatisfaction with the status quo. If people see a better possible state and a feasible path to achieve it, they will become dissatisfied with their present one.

Change Readiness Seven traits of change readiness 1. Resourcefulness 2. Optimism 3. Adventurousness 4. Drive 5. Adaptability 6. Confidence 7. Tolerance for ambiguity

Styles of Change Response Conservers Pragmatists Originators § Accept structure § Prefer retaining existing systems and paradigms § Prefer gradual change § May appear cautious and inflexible but do ask the hard, detailed questions § Explore structure § Operate as mediators and catalysts § Prefer change that best serves the function § May appear reasonable, practical and flexible but also noncommittal § Challenge the structure § Enjoy risk and uncertainty § Prefer quicker, more expansive and radical change § May appear disorganized and undisciplined but are original thinkers § Continuum of change responses § How to best manage the interactions of styles?

Bridges’ Three-Phase Model § William Bridges, Ph. D. , § Academic, Author, Consultant § Created 3 -phase model for managing change 1. Endings 2. Neutral zone 3. New beginnings

Phase I: Endings § Traditional behaviors must end in order to adopt new ones. § The Four Ds of Enddddings 1. Disengagement 2. Disidentification 3. Disenchantment 4. Disorientation

Phase I: Endings As an individual yourself… § Step back and look at the big picture § Consider what you will have to let go of § Allow yourself to go through mourning As a leader… § Mark endings with an event or action § Acknowledge individual resistance or loss § Talk about future opportunities § Summarize the past with its accomplishments – attempt to create a sense of closure

Phase II: Neutral Zone “It’s like being between trapezes. ”

Phase II: Neutral Zone As an individual yourself… § Recognize phase symptoms (confusion, contradicting feelings) in self § Take retreat to identify realistic goals based on ability and resources § Set some realistic, short-term goals As a leader… § Recognize and allow phase symptoms in others § Continue to celebrate the value of the past and future § Allow individuals to learn from mistakes § Provide opportunities for creative ideas to emerge from staff

Phase III: New Beginnings § Readiness to embrace new behaviors and experiences. § The Four Ps of New Beginnings 1. Purpose 2. Picture 3. Plan 4. Part

Phase III: New Beginnings As an individual yourself… § Start doing things differently— everywhere § Challenge nay-sayers with, “Why not? ” § Creatively look at issues and problems As a leader… § Follow the Four Ps § Practice integrity. Walk your talk! § Celebrate the successes including the small tasks

Net Effect of Change § § § Change, even positive, is stressful Stress Index Quantity and pace Assess the net effect of change Mitigate the effects where possible

Change Killers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. culture commitment sponsorship change leadership team communication urgency Vision

Change Killers 8. plan 9. budget 10. trainer 11. incentive 12. performance management 13. accountability

Leading Through Change § Accept that successful change requires management § Engage in intentional change design process § Understand the difference between change and transition and tend to psychological response § Choose appropriate style for driving change § Harness people’s motivation for change

Leading Through Change § Assess change readiness § Tend to interactions of people’s response to change § Facilitate the phases of change § Assess and mitigate net effect of change § Address change killers

Leading Through Change § Listen to keep your fingers on the pulse § Communicate honestly and frequently § Understand commit to the reasons for change § Serve with integrity: » Serve as a visible role-model » Do not make promises beyond your means