overcoming the challenge of change

Overcoming the Challenge of Change

S-HRPANBarry Wright

Goodman School

Change Agent Lessons Learned

• Who are you now?

• Takeaway: One CALL

Organizational Change

A recent study n=309• S-HRM executives• 100% were going

through – merger, acquisition, divestiture, global competition, restructuring

Challenge of Change

Beer and Nohria (2000) estimate that about two-thirds of change projects fail, and

Burnes (2004), who conducted an extensive review of the literature, suggests that the figure may even be higher.

Challenge of Change

There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.

Nicolo Machiavelli - The Prince.

Then Why Change?

That he not busy being born – is busy dying

It’s alright, Ma (I’m only bleeding) Bob Dylan

RIM 2008 “Can I keep my BB?” President O – $200.00

2012 “I want an iPhone?” The World – $7.36

2013 “Mmmmm – BB10” – $14.70

What is organizational change?

• Organizational change occurs when an organization restructures resources to (hopefully) create value and improve effectiveness.

The (W)Right Change Model TM

• Me: Leadership Skills, • Map: Political Terrain (Stakeholders), Climate for

Change• Marshall: Urgency, Coalitions/Networks,

Champions• Message: Vision, Mission, Values, The Future• Motivate: Communicate with the Elephant &

Rider, Path, Small Wins• Manage/Metrics: Clear Hurdles, Keep an eye out

for Grendel’s Mother, Flexible and a Sense of Humour

Leadership Lesson: What followers want

• Honest - consistency

• Forward Looking - vision

• Inspiring - cheerleader,

excited, passion

• Competent - record of

achievement

• Credible - trustworthy

Credibility Insight

First Law of Leadership

“If we don’t believe in the messenger, we won’t believe in the message

Who is your messenger?

The (W)Right Change Model

• Map: Plan, Political Terrain (Stakeholders), Climate for Change

Lewin’s Force Field Steps

1. Describe Current Situation2. Describe Desired Situation3. Identify where current situation will go if no

action taken4. List forces driving change to desired /

restraining forces5. Discuss all the forces – can they be

changed? Which are the critical ones?6. Determine if you can negate the

restraining / enhance the driving7. Recognize that changing one might impact

the others (both positively and negatively)

Change Wisdom: Readiness for Change

• Trust in Leadership• Politicking• Cohesion• Participation (climate)• Support by Supervisors• Communication quality• Attitude towards change

(top MGMT)

• Dave Bouckenooghe

• Emotional Readiness• Cognitive Readiness• Intentional Readiness

The (W)Right Change Model

• Marshall: Urgency, Coalitions/Networks, Champions

1. Establish a Sense of Urgency• “Discovery process” step back and examines the big picture to

identify critical issues • Understand the vulnerability in the organization (or, create it -

Cortez)• Who are the external antagonists? • Achieved when 75% of your leadership is honestly convinced

2. Create a Powerful Coalition (Change Champions)• Who do you need close by?• Who is your C-Suite Champion

The (W)Right Change Model TM

• Message: Vision, Mission, Values, The Future

• You are driving and as you turn the corner you drive into fog – what do you do?

Strategic Visioning

• Henry Mintzberg (1994) debunks popular approaches to strategic planning as overly analytic; he hints: in order to be effective, he claims, strategy should involve intuitive glimpses of possibility

• The anticipatory principle--the development of imaginative capacity to form possible images of future states--suggests that perhaps the most potent vehicle for transforming human systems is our ongoing projection of a future image (vision)

• Discover the Theme: what are you/others passionate about?

What is your sense of urgency?

• Pair up in groups of three and work individually on the urgency question.

The (W)Right Change Model TM

• Motivate: Communicate with the Elephant & Rider, Path, Small Wins

Switch

• Direct the Rider• Motivate the Elephant• Shape the Path

Direct the Rider

• Follow the Bright Spots: find out what’s working and clone it

• Script the Critical Moves: Think Specific• Point to the Destinations: Know where you

are heading and why it’s worth it

Direct the Elephant: Putting Feelings First

Our elephant is lazy and skittish: seeking short-term benefits vs short-term sacrifices.

So MOTIVATE the Elephant:– Find the Feeling: Make people

feel something– Shrink the Change: Break

down the change– Grow your People: Cultivate a

sense of identity 

Shape the Path

• Tweak the Environment: Change the situation

• Build Habits: rider is not taxed

• Rally the Herd: Behaviour is contagious

The (W)Right Change Model

• Manage/Metrics: Clear Hurdles, Keep an eye out for Grendel’s Mother, Flexible and a Sense of Humour

Change’s path

• The learning curve

Change

Failed Change

Successful Change

DoubtPoint

Escalating Commitment orDarkest before the Dawn?

Smaller gem

Smaller Gems

New Approaches to Communication Management by Ursula Stroh and Miia Jaatinen (Journal of Communications Management, 2001)

• Provide opportunities for people to bump into each other

The (W)Right Change Model TM

• Me: Leadership Skills, • Map: Political Terrain (Stakeholders), Climate for

Change• Marshall: Urgency, Coalitions/Networks,• Message: Vision, Mission, Values, The Future• Motivate: Communicate with the Elephant &

Rider, Path, Small Wins• Manage/Metrics: Clear Hurdles, Keep an eye out

for Grendel’s Mother, Flexible and a Sense of Humour

Final Exam …

• Who would you rather spend an hour in conversation with – Bouckenooghe, Lewin or Kotter? Why?

• Who are you now? What is your CALL?

If you have future questions or if I can be of help …

Barry Wright

bwright@brocku.ca

905-688-5550 ext 5034