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This document provides a critique of the article "Seeking Continuity Amidst Organizational Change: A Storytelling Approach" by Kolb. It discusses how Kolb uses the example of a consulting project with a canning company to show how discovering and sharing stories from the organization's history helped create continuity during periods of change. It argues that understanding the past allows people to recognize that proposed changes have been done before, helping them accept changes. The critique agrees that connecting new initiatives to the original founders' intentions through stories can resonate with people resistant to change and motivate them to support organizational development.

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87 views5 pages

ldrs802 Sjac2

This document provides a critique of the article "Seeking Continuity Amidst Organizational Change: A Storytelling Approach" by Kolb. It discusses how Kolb uses the example of a consulting project with a canning company to show how discovering and sharing stories from the organization's history helped create continuity during periods of change. It argues that understanding the past allows people to recognize that proposed changes have been done before, helping them accept changes. The critique agrees that connecting new initiatives to the original founders' intentions through stories can resonate with people resistant to change and motivate them to support organizational development.

Uploaded by

api-478028340
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CRITIQUE ON SEEKING CONTINUITY AMONGST ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE; A 1

STORYTELLING APPROACH

Critique on Seeking continuity amidst organizational change: a storytelling approach

Chris Payne

Fort Hays State University


CRITIQUE ON SEEKING CONTINUITY AMONGST ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE; A 2
STORYTELLING APPROACH

Introduction

Kolb writes, Seeking Continuity Amidst Organizational Change: A Storytelling Approach

to show the value of connecting the past to present and future changes through the medium of

storytelling (2003). Kolb shares with his readers the value of understanding the history of an

organization to create continuity even though that organization is constantly changing.

Thesis

Kolb provides a documented example of how he and his partner stumbled upon a thread

of continuity that helped to anchor the stakeholders to the past. Continuity provides an anchor

point that those within an organization can use to wrap their heads around and accept the myriad

of changes being introduced within their organization. The idea of continuity is often a vague

concept and this paper provides a concrete example of what some of that continuity might look

like to those making changes.

Main Points

Novelty and transition are essential to high functioning social systems. In order to tolerate

that transition, managing continuity must be observed. (Srivastva et al. 1992). However, when

the author was contacted by Amcor, a canning company in New Zealand, to consult with them

about managing change, the continuity element was not even considered.

While searching for a healthy exercise to engage the stakeholders, he had them introduce

themselves in the order in which they had been a part of the organization. He did this in order to

get an understanding, from their perspective, the history of the organization and how it operated.

After listening to the workers who’d been there the longest, they’d discovered that many

of the changes that were being implemented weren’t new at all but had been done before. Kolb
CRITIQUE ON SEEKING CONTINUITY AMONGST ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE; A 3
STORYTELLING APPROACH

became acutely aware that although he and many in his organization specialized in change,

they’d often ignored the past, missing an opportunity to create continuity amongst a sea change.

Critical Assessment

As a leader in an organization that often resists change, this understanding of history is

vital to bringing stakeholders on board with the changes necessary to ensure the survival of the

organization. I cannot count how many times people have used the excuse “we’ve never done it

that way before” to explain why something can’t or shouldn’t be done. One can remove that

excuse from the table for those who resist change with knowledge that we have, in fact, done it

that way before.

Kolb presents a simple, non-threatening and honoring exercise to invite stakeholders to

have a voice in managing the change and in the process stumbles upon an excellent way to

connect with the heritage of the organization.

Bouwen and Overlaet (2001) are absolutely correct when they say, "There is no

continuity without appreciation of the past. People will experience continuity when they can

recognize the past in their present actions and intentions for the future". Once the workers who

had been at Amcor the longest began sharing what they and their predecessors had experienced,

everyone in the room began to understand that some of these changes are very doable, could lead

to success, and that there are people in the room who can walk them through the change.

Personally, I am very passionate about church planting. Unfortunately at our church, no

one is talking about it and no one seems to think that we have any responsibility to participate in

it. After talking with one of the founders, our senior pastor discovered that the church was

offered over 30 acres on which it could build a building. The charter members decided that if

they needed to grow that big, they would simply plant another church.
CRITIQUE ON SEEKING CONTINUITY AMONGST ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE; A 4
STORYTELLING APPROACH

After hearing that, I can now connect the history of our church and the desires of the

founder to this “new” idea of planting more churches in Southwest Kansas. This connection to

and appreciation of the past will resonate with those who cling to those values and statements as

we push forward this organization in the present and future.

Reflection

I have found that I have a tendency to critique articles with which I agree and can put to

immediate use in my occupation. This one is no different. Since churches lean so heavily on

tradition, I look for any means possible that I can invite people to become change agents and

onboard them to the changes that I feel like need to be made to make the organization as

successful as it can possibly be.

I firmly believe that stories are some of the most powerful tools we can utilize in our

quest to better the organizations we are a part of. Many times, if I am launching small groups, a

positive story about how that group impacted someone’s life or family will be the memorable

touch that pushes people to make the change and start participating. Especially, when most of

the organization consists of volunteers, stories become the entrance ramps to the highways upon

which the church moves.


CRITIQUE ON SEEKING CONTINUITY AMONGST ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE; A 5
STORYTELLING APPROACH

References

Kolb, D. Seeking Continuity amidst organizational change: a storytelling approach, Journal of


Management Inquiry, 12(2), 180

Bouwen, J., & Overlaet, B. (2001). Managing continuity in a period of takeover. Journal of
Management Inquiry, 10(1), 27-38.

Srivastva, S., Fry, R., & Associates. (1992). Executive and organizational continuity: Managing
the paradoxes of stability and change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

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