Change Management

Think Piece

Piers Schreiber
[email protected]
+44 7707 263 782
 Key Features of Successful
Transformational Change
Key Features Implications
• It is designed around the business • Incorporate the drivers into the project
drivers plan
• It wins emotional and intellectual • Develop clear engagement / involvement
support strategies
• It models and reinforces the new way • Accomplished before, during and after
of working implementation
• It puts significant investment into • Communicate from the very start of the
communications project
• It creates experiences that shape • Align and engage all levels of
future behaviour management behind the change
• It aligns all the dimensions of • Allow for processing resistance and
management behind the change conflict – natural during change
• It releases talent, creativity and • Provide processes that emotionally
ingenuity – often in unexpected ways support people through all parts of the
change
 Ten Points of Potential Failure
1. A continued discrepancy between top management statements of values or styles
and their actual managerial behaviour – Saying one thing and doing another
2. A big programme of activities without any clear goals for change
3. Confusion between ends and means – the question of ‘training for what’ must be
answered
4. Short-term perspective. Three to five years is a realistic time framework for
organisational change
5. Lack of coordination between a number of different activities aimed at increasing
organisational effectiveness
6. Overdependence on others – either outside consultants or inside specialists
7. Large gap between the commitment to change at the top of the organisation and
the transfer of this interest to the middle of the organisation
8. Trying to fit a major organisational change into an old organisational structure
9. The constant search for cookbook solutions
10. Applying an intervention or strategy inappropriately. The tendency to apply
someone else’s package
 The Need for a Compelling
Business Case
Strong data-driven rationale
• A specific research-based reason for change
• Linked directly to performance goals

Realistic understanding of organisational implications

Formal; informal; people; tasks

Focused strategy for stakeholder engagement

Identification of critical audiences and gap analysis

Clarification and communication of vision

Compelling reason and urgency behind change activities
The Need for a
Burning Platform
 The Need for a
Strong Foundation

Create a shared, defined and Assess the organisation’s

robust view of the imperatives readiness and capability for
for change and performance change
requirement

Decide on the vehicle for

Identify stakeholders change (e.g. process
redesign, cost reduction,
culture change, closer
alignment with customers)
 The Change Equation
(Beckhard)

Vision + Dissatisfaction +1 ST
Steps > Costs
$$$
Emotional
Changing individual behaviour requires both new information and new
experiences

( Information + Experience )X Perception = Behaviour

Information Experience of My perceptions A shift in
about what is doing my work of the my
happening to in new ways organisation, its behaviour
the IFC and me, which reinforces management and
and why the change and and my own attitudes
engages me capability
potentially
 Leadership

Moving one or more people from where they happen to

be to some other place

Clear committed leadership is vital to the success of any

change
 Key Features of
Leading Change
Enrolling • Making the journey and destination compellingly attractive
• Helping people see a future they want to be part of
• Helping people find a purpose and meaning for themselves
• Requesting commitment

• Helping people see possibilities for their contribution

Enabling • Challenging self-limiting beliefs
• Setting (together) stretching targets
• Building self-esteem, confidence and trust
• Putting into action

• Building and sustaining people’s energy

Energising • Celebrating successes
• Giving recognition
• Expressing optimism

• Demonstrating the behaviours and values that are being

Exemplifying required of others
 Key Features of
Leading Change
Purpose Picture Plan Part
• Explain the basic • Paint the picture of • Lay out the plan for • Establish each
purpose behind the how the outcome phasing in the person’s part in both
outcome will look and feel outcome the plan and the
• ‘What was the • What is the • Outline steps and outcome
problem?’ outcome going to schedules in which • Show employees the
• Who said so and on look, feel and sound people will receive role & their relationship
what evidence? like? information, training & to others. Until they
• What would have • How are people support they need to see it they can’t adjust
occurred if no one going to get their make the transition hopes & fears to the
had acted to solve work done and • People oriented to tell new reality
it? interact with each employees how and • Show employees what
• What could have other? when their worlds are part they play in the
happened to us if • How will a day be going to change outcome & the
that had occurred organised? • Start with where transition process
people are & work
forward to leave the
past behind and
emerge with new
attitudes, behaviours
& identity
 Transformation Process

Part
Phase Unfreeze Mobilise Realise Reinforce Sustain

Set the Make early Secure Underpin Strive for

Content direction changes & build widespread with continuous
Create the confidence shift in changes in performance
desire & will behaviour structure & improvement
to change people
processes

Break
Build Perfor Embed Push
with
Outcomes the
the m-ance new the
energy lift-off culture limits
past
 Plan from the Perspective
of the Recipients of Change

Part
Unfreeze Mobilise Realise Reinforce Sustain

Board
• Where do we want them to be?
Senior Mgmt Team
• What initiatives will help them get there?
Customer Facing Staff
• Is the ‘load’ of change reasonable & within capabilities?
Front-line Managers
• What projects do we need to provide the initiatives
Middle Managers

Support Teams
 Plotting Shifts in Commitment
(Example)

Key Players No Commitment Let It Happen Help It Happen Make It Happen

X O
Line Managers
X O
Senior Team

Board O X

HR XO

Employees X O

Project Sponsor XO
Key:
X = Present state
O = Minimum commitment needed
 Surfacing Potential
Barriers Early On
• Change gets bogged because barriers are not dealt with soon
enough or openly enough to keep the change process moving
• Barriers may exist anywhere and everywhere – even the difficult-
to-see places…

• Strategy • Leadership
• Structure • Management
• Process • Resources
Consider: How will this • Operating principles • Systems
change effort affect…?
• Culture/behaviour • Rewards
• Jobs • Values/Beliefs
• People • Capabilities
 Identify Strategies for Closing
Critical Gaps
Organisational Dimension Gap Strategy
Strategy
Structure
Process
Operating Principles
Culture/Behaviour
People
Leadership
Management
Resources
Systems
Rewards
 Importance of Leadership
Communication
Leadership Grapevine
65% ?
Why should I
change my
behaviour or
go the extra
mile? Systems &
Media Processes
10% 25%

• Actions speak louder than words

• Day-to-day behaviour and signals need to live the vision
 The Transition Curve:
How Attitudes & Feelings Change
“S/he really made the effort to help us
implement this change”

“This way is more effective”

“I’m not sure I know

what’s going on”
Confidence

“This could be a better way of doing it”

“I can handle this”

“Actually, things might get better”

“I feel overwhelmed”
“We can’t do this. It won’t work. We’re not allowed”

Time
 Making Sense of the Journey
To change their behaviour, employees need to see the link between:

The information they receive

Their work and how they do it

The context in which they do their work

The needs of the organisation

 Link between desired result &
communication approach
Ownership/
Engagement
Level of change

Acceptance/
Alignment

Understanding
(and Action)

Awareness

Tell Sell Consult Join

Level of involvement
 Choosing the Right
Communications Tools & Channels
Ownership/ Working sessions, 1-to-1
Engagement conversations, workshops,
coaching
Level of change

Acceptance/ Focus groups, working

Alignment parties, suggestions
schemes, consultative
presentations

Understanding
(and Action) Booklets, plenary
sessions, presentations,
videos, intranets

Awareness Newsletters,
emails, memos,
letters, notices

Tell Sell Consult Join

Level of involvement
 Information + Involvement
to Build Commitment & Change
“This is the way we do things
here”
Stages of Individual Internalisation
Behaviour Change ent “OK, I’m ready to do it the
of new behaviour
itm new way”
mm
g Co Commitment
sin to personal change
rea “I know how we need to
Inc do our jobs differently”

Translation
Significant
to the work setting
“I understand where we involvement
need to go” needed
Understanding
of change direction
“Yeah, I saw the memo”

Awareness
of desired change Information with some
involvement sufficient here
 Ten Strategies for Employee
Involvement
1. Meet regularly with employees and openly discuss the organisational changes and
why they occurred
2. Recognise that employees understand that you may not have the answers to
everything, but it’s important for them to feel the communications are open and
honest
3. Constantly communicate clear goals and vision of the new situation
4. Encourage people to discuss fears and concerns in teams
5. Open ‘suggestion boxes’ for employees to raise questions in anonymity
6. Set up weekly lunches or other informal meetings to discuss the progress of the
restructuring process
7. Whenever possible, assign roles and responsibilities in line with peoples interests
8. Develop rituals and marker events that allow people to connect
9. Involve employees affected by the changes in making decisions about what’s best
for them
10. Discuss realistic career options with employees and ensure training is available for
any new skills that are needed
 Coaching Others in Building
Employee Commitment

1. Identify individuals or groups whose commitment is necessary to

the success of the change effort
2. Create and follow a departmental plan to increase commitment of
all players
3. Continually encourage and enable employee involvement
4. Continually communicate the goals of the change process
5. Turn covert resistance to overt resistance and then to
commitment
6. WALK THE TALK!
 What People Pay Attention To:
1. Leader attention, measurement, rewards and controls
2. Leader reaction to critical incidents
3. Leader role modelling, coaching
4. Criteria for recruitment, promotion, retirement and excommunication
5. Formal and informal socialisation
6. Recurring systems and procedures
7. Organisation design and structure
8. Design of physical space
9. Stories and myths about key people and events
10. Formal statements, charters, creeds, codes of ethics etc

Between 80-90% of behaviour is determined by

the first three points