WHAT DOES GOOD CHANGE MANAGEMENT LOOK LIKE?

Transcription

1 WHAT DOES GOOD CHANGE MANAGEMENT LOOK LIKE? A 45 minute tour of the world of change: Different types of change What typically goes wrong? Good practice and warning signs the beginnings of a checklist for auditors? Presenter: Esther Cameron, Director Integral Change 1

2 Kotter s 8 Steps to Successful Change Establish a sense of urgency 1 Form a powerful guiding coalition 2 Create a vision 3 Communicate the vision 4 Empower others to act on the vision 5 Plan for and create short term wins 6 Consolidate improvements and produce still more change 7 Institutionalize new approaches 8 Source: Why Transformation Efforts Fail, Kotter, HBR, 1995

3 A guiding principle Most organisational change is iterative and multi-layered rather than linear and monochronic!

4 What type of change - simple or complex? SIMPLE Goals clearly defined Not subject to external influences Implementation of single solution Known stakeholder group compliance required Technical performance and efficiency at core No mindset shift required Managed via awareness, education, monitoring + control COMPLEX Goals ambiguous or unclear Highly subject to external influences Exploration of alternative and/or multiple solutions Multiple and varied stakeholder groups involvement required Relationships, culture and meaning at core Transformation required at many levels Managed via engagement, discussion loops, stage points 4

5 Who s involved? Stakeholders Senior Leaders/Spo nsors Change Strategists Change Agents Target employees Middle Leaders Project Support Project Team 5

6 Kotter s 8 Steps to Successful Change Establish a sense of urgency 1 Form a powerful guiding coalition 2 Create a vision 3 Communicate the vision 4 Empower others to act on the vision 5 Plan for and create short term wins 6 Consolidate improvements and produce still more change 7 Institutionalize new approaches 8 Source: Why Transformation Efforts Fail, Kotter, HBR, 1995

7 The standard problems Poor senior management sponsorship Resistance to change from employees Insufficient resources Plenty of project management but little change management Middle management resistance Prosci 2014 (&IBM/McKinsey) 7

8 The fiendish problems! Understanding change as linear rather than iterative and multi-layered Lack of organisation-wide awareness of context/performance Top team fragmentation and/or dysfunction Poor management of priorities Focus on top down communications and upwards reporting rather than on-going engagement loops Lack of attention to capacity building and sustainability Poorly defined outcomes and lack of agreed, implementable measures Integral Change, ongoing analysis 8

9 The idealised change pathway? FROM TO

10 A more realistic change pathway Loops, and loops of loops

11 Five Essential Change Practices

12 GOOD PRACTICE Time is taken to stand back from the issues and get to the root of problems The purpose and values underpinning the change are discussed and new, imaginative perspectives shared Interconnections between issues and interests are mapped out WARNING SIGNS The purpose of the change seems flimsy and/or ungrounded There is silo-thinking or leadership fragmentation and/or dysfunction Middle managers or employees distrust or don t understand the initiative Requires space and time! 12

13 GOOD PRACTICE There s an attractive, high level picture of the change destination which middle leaders can engage in and shape There s a robust FROM-TO framework which contains the work to come Leaders contract clearly re. roles, priorities and goals WARNING SIGNS Resistance or alternative viewpoints are reacted to rather than worked with Leaders lack the authority or confidence to clarify what s important and make bold decisions Visions and/or frameworks fail to integrate key perspectives Requires flexibility and toughness! 13

14 GOOD PRACTICE People are engaged in the work ahead via clear, motivational goals and high quality, regular communications The specific work to be done gets clarified and actioned Experiments and new connections are encouraged WARNING SIGNS Messaging is inconsistent, unclear and/or sporadic Bold communication and passionate responses are avoided or discouraged Nothing much seems to be actually happening! Requires energy and clarity! 14

15 WARNING SIGNS Heroics are rewarded, rather than taking time to learn or digest Leaders forget to appreciate others, perhaps feeling a little under-appreciated themselves! The focus is on completing tasks rather than on system health or longer term capacity building GOOD PRACTICE People are encouraged to ask for help if they lack the skill to proceed There s attention to teambuilding to ensure that difficulties and differences are worked through Leaders bring softer skills of listening, inquiry and appreciation Requires containment and support 15

16 GOOD PRACTICE Results are evaluated against clear aims Success is celebrated and failure properly acknowledged The evaluation process leads to a sharpening of accountability-taking going forward WARNING SIGNS There is no shared picture of progress Many people seem either stretched or confused, and some work appears stuck People say the goal-posts keep shifting Requires discipline and precision! 16

17 WHAT DOES GOOD CHANGE MANAGEMENT LOOK LIKE? 17

18 WHAT DOES GOOD CHANGE MANAGEMENT LOOK LIKE? Senior leaders staying interested and alert High levels of awareness of context/performance Team cohesion and clarity Priorities continually well-managed On-going engagement loops Good attention to capacity building and sustainability Well defined outcomes and agreed, implementable measures. 18