Managing Change Management. White Paper by Lorin Walker, PhD

Transcription

1 Managing Change Management White Paper by Lorin Walker, PhD

2 Change happens. Change happens and will continue to happen. What the changing environment doesn t do to us, we will do to ourselves: most of us strive to live in a world of evolution and improvement. But change will seldom happen according to exact plan and specification. Certainly this will be the case if we leave change to its own devices. It is more likely to stay more tightly within the bounds that we desire, and to move toward the end that we hope for, if we actively plan, monitor and readjust. This paper is about organizational change that is consciously planned, constantly evaluated and consistently redirected. It is a prescription for change that is managed, to carry the effort to a desired conclusion. WHAT IS CHANGE? Change is a process, a journey, a migration. A process is a series of interconnected steps producing a desired outcome. Each step counts, and must lead to the next. Course corrections are possible. A journey has many events, many stops along the road, many unanticipated challenges and opportunities. A migration takes us from one place to a different place. We expend energy and confront danger along the way. Organizational change is all of these. Managing change is a misnomer. Change management is analogous to time management. We do not manage time. Time exists and persists, just as change exists and persists. We manage ourselves and events through time. We do the same with change. We manage ourselves and events through change. BEGINNING AT THE BEGINNING Change starts with desire. Organizational change most often starts with a desire for improvement. This kind of change can be precipitated from the inside, or from the outside. The need may be triggered by some outside event that requires a new response (imposed change), or someone in the organization may want things to work differently, or may want to take advantage of a new opportunity (proposed change). In any case, change starts with an avowal of the need for change. New behavior and new communication begin. The game is afoot. Time to pay attention. THE NINE IMPERATIVES OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT 1. Vision-driven Each member of the organization must not only know the goal, but must see and feel the goal. And the goal must be clear. Like the old saying, If you don t know where you are going, it doesn t matter which road you take (and you will probably end up somewhere else). The vision may change. But then it must be clearly re-communicated. The vision is not the same thing as a mission. Missions consist of goals, objectives and outcomes. A mission statement can be a long statement. A vision evokes energy and emotion and paints a compelling picture of the future. It is a short statement. For example, a mission statement may say, Increase market share by 8 percent each year for the next 4 years, and add two new overseas clients, while containing costs, increasing shareholder value and giving back to the communities in which we serve. A vision might say Our product within arm s length of every person on the planet. Or the vision might say Surround (name of Page 1 of 4

3 chief competitor). Both visions and missions are necessary. Visions create energy and drive change. Missions help you know how the change is going. 2. The need for change champions One definition of champion is vigorous advocate. The organization leadership must be champions of the change. This is necessary but not sufficient. Change must be propelled at every level, and at every point in the organization. Change champions perform best when the work is done purposefully, and when provided appropriate training, context and support. They must also be relieved of some duties so that they physically have the time and the psychic energy to do what needs to be done. The champions help lead the organization. They also help one another. The champions become a community of support and a deep source of organizational learning. They also become a community of forgetting, helping one another forget the old ways and the good old days and moving on. 3. The primacy of customers Each part of the organization receives and transforms inputs from other parts of the organization. For example, an input may be market intelligence, which helps produce the output of a more fitfor-purpose product. Or an input might be a more stable source of raw material, which helps with more accurate planning and scheduling. In any case, each recipient is a customer, relying on the products and services of others. All of the customers band together in a supplier-customer chain to deliver a wonderful product to the end customer of the organization. 4. Continuous redirection The only thing more certain than the predictability of change is the unpredictability of the course of change. Unanticipated consequences, some positive, some negative, are always emerging. Constant vigilance, measurement and redirection keep things moving toward the intended result. 5. Crisp handoffs Organizations, like the organ system of the body, are by definition both differentiated and integrated. One part performs its specialty, then receives from another part, and in turn gives to a different part. This may be an in-the-moment direct exchange, or it may be linear, or spread amongst recipients. As in a relay race, with each runner passing the baton to the succeeding runner, time is gained or squandered; the race is won or lost, at the handoff. 6. Constant RACI The acronym RACI refers to clear understanding and acceptance of roles and responsibilities as organizations migrate through change. R means responsible for, A means accountable for, C means consult with and I means inform. Roles and responsibilities must remain fluid throughout change as the new and unexpected requires attention. The RACI process is applied to individuals and groups to manage the change. Conscious, in-the-moment attention to who does what makes sure the end product is delivered. 7. Staying within the trust envelope Vision and trust are the most important of all the imperatives. Trust is the least common and most precious of all organization quantities. In leading and managing change, the players must play within the boundaries of trust always being truthful (even when completeness is not immediately possible), keeping one s word, sharing as much as possible, being consistent and fair. When trust is lost, unity and loyalty suffer, and the positive potential of the change is lost. When credibility is lost, the impact of one s word and action diminishes to zero. Change stops, or careens madly in the wrong direction. Page 2 of 4

4 8. Being the change you want to see If you want others to change, first change yourself. Modeling the change you want to see in the organization has two positive effects. First, you serve as an example for others to follow. Second, you will experience the distinctions of the new way. You will gain a rich understanding of what it means real-time to be the new, better, different way, including coping with the occasional discomfort, and you will be prepared to hold rich and compelling discussions with those who display energy to move in the same direction. And when you speak, you will speak with authority. 9. Preparing to deal with resistance Resistance happens for many reasons. Some people resist any change no matter what. Some do it out of fear change brings new realities, which for some will be opportunities, and for others will be losses. Some will resist out of habitual cynicism, or what is sometimes called resignation this will not be the first time that someone has come along with a new idea or a new flavor. Not all previous attempts were palatable. In the face of resistance, listen, adjust if necessary but persist. STAGES AND DOMAINS IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGE When attempting to manage change, it is helpful to see it as proceeding through several stages and domains. The following model is one way to think about this. Stages Design: laying forth the intention, steps and timing for the change Execute: assigning accountabilities and expectations and getting into action Sustain: realizing and consolidating change achieved, and adopting a new vision for the future Domains for Each Stage Structure: how teams involved in the change will be structured, and ultimately, how the organization will be structured going forward Process: how the parts of each entity will function, especially how handoffs will take place People: how the people will be prepared, empowered and move through the change Experience has shown that the stages are not always linear. For example, there is sometimes a need to revisit the design during the Execute stage; alternatively, there may be a need to use a Sustain tool during the Design stage, to make sure something stays in place, etc. CHANGE IS BOTH TECHNICAL AND EMOTIONAL The only problem with working with humans is that you are working with humans. We are creatures of logic; we are also creatures of emotion. Logic (technical) supplies direction; our humanness (emotion) supplies energy and staying power. Technical aspects include things like goal setting, visioning, defining roles and responsibilities and risk analysis. Emotional-psychological aspects include things like dealing with loss of status, turf and clarity, managing conflict, building trust, clearing the air as needed, forming new working relationships and moving on. NOT A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH Change leaders must be flexible. Change proceeds according to unpredictable events and outcomes. To bring some order to it, it is helpful to see it as consisting of a series of tasks. Tasks are more easily performed if there are tools that are designed to accomplish the task. The change may involve a small Page 3 of 4

5 subset of the organization, or it may be large-scale and system-wide. An effective model is therefore task-based, tool-based and scalable. Tasks for the change leaders can be designated for each domain of the change, along with tools. Other tools may be needed, and indeed, may need to be specially developed and tailored to meet unique requirements. Additionally, the model must be scalable, designed to drive simple change, as well as large, complex change. PAYING ATTENTION TO CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS Experience has shown that each domain proceeds best when certain success factors are kept in mind. To keep things simple, we will focus on two factors for each stage. Two key success factors of the Structure domain are: 1. Clearly stated vision 2. Unity of intention The two key success factors of the Process domain are: 1. Tight definition of internal and end user customer requirements 2. Effectiveness of handoffs Two key success factors of the People domain are: 1. Clarity and personalization of vision 2. Tolerance for ambiguity There are also a number of overall success factors to keep in mind. Again, to keep things simple, we will focus on just a few. The three factors for successful change are: 1. The change must make sense for the business - it creates competitive advantage. 2. The change must quickly become part of real work, not an alternate structure to be imposed from the top or from outside. 3. There must be a strong (influential, active, involved) and aligned leadership team with a clearly stated vision of success for the change. WHY CHANGE? Your organization is already perfectly designed to produce what it is currently producing. Furthermore, execution is proceeding according to plan. If you are happy with what is being produced, then do your level best not to change a thing. If you are not happy, we recommend attention to the preceding principles. Page 4 of 4

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