Scenario Building for Successful Organizational Change

1. Scenario Building for Successful Organizational Change MPA 8002 Organization Theory Richard M. Jacobs, OSA, Ph.D.

2. For Bolman & Deal (2008)... • managing and leading organizations is a matter of utilizing four frames to diagnose organizational functioning

3. Structurally, managers and leaders... 1. set goals and policies under conditions of uncertainty 2. achieve a “delicate balance” in allocating scarce resources across organizational entities 3. motivate, coordinate, and control large, diverse group of subordinates

4. From a human resources view, managers and leaders... 1. help individuals and groups develop a shared sense of direction and purpose 2. balance task and process goals 3. endeavor to make group work both satisfying and efficient

5. Politically, managers and leaders... 1. confront workplace politics 2. apply ethics in the decision-making process 3. wield power effectively 4. act with authority

6. Using symbols, managers and leaders... 1. attend carefully to socializing new members into the organization 2. emphasize diversity in ideas and approaches to problem solving 3. manage and lead by example 4. develop and use code language to communicate organizational purpose

7. For Bolman and Deal, the goal is... • for managers and leaders to give appropriate emphasis to the positives associated with each frame…

8. Strengths of the structural frame... …is rational and objective, data driven …uses logic to shape policies, procedures, division of labor, and span of control …is action oriented …provides for accountability

9. Strengths of the human resources frame... …personal …practical …addresses fundamental human needs and interests

10. Strengths of the political frame... …realistic …practical …addresses the reality of mixed motives, conflict, and power struggles present in the workplace …highlights the need for principled reflection and ethical action

11. Strengths of the symbolic frame... …personal …illuminates the importance of creating and sustaining belief and meaning …inspiring, meaningful, motivational …focuses on the bonds uniting individuals into cohesive groups that pursue a shared purpose

12. While simultaneously... • managers and leaders to avoid each frame’s limitations…

13. Structural frame limitations... …impersonal and bureaucratic: views workers as functionaries …overly simplistic …pessimistic about human nature …inflexible and rigid for decision making …overestimates the power of authority …neglects fundamental human, political, and cultural variables

14. Human resources frame limitations... …naïve in its assessment of human nature …overly optimistic about integrating people, process, and technology …not realistic for a fast-changing environment …neglects the power of structure …neglects the realities of conflict and scarce resources

15. Political frame limitations ... …impersonal in dealing with people …cynical view of human nature …assumes conflict and power struggles …reinforces conflict and mistrust …sacrifices opportunities for rational discourse, collaboration toward shared goals, and hope in a positive future

16. Symbolic frame limitations... …an overly abstract, vague, and elusive concept …impractical for use in the workplace …can easily be manipulated

17. Using frame analysis positively... • effective managers and leaders engage in activities… …focused by their primary concerns

18. Using the structural frame... …scientists effective managers and leaders are …planners …social architects …good data …honest analysis whose primary concerns are …creative designs …the best process

19. Using human resources theory... …personable and warm …thoughtful and kind effective managers and leaders are …servants …catalysts for growth …challenging growth …providing support whose primary concerns are …expanding roles …engendering and sustaining good will

20. Using political theory... …savvy and smart …polished effective managers and leaders are …clear-headed …advocates …coalition-building …negotiating gray areas whose primary concerns are …upholding the common good

21. Using symbolic theory... …prophets effective managers and leaders are …poets …priests …substance …framing experience whose primary concerns are …inspiring …pointing a way

22. Using frame analysis negatively... • ineffective managers and leaders engage in activities… …focused by their primary concerns

23. Abusing the structural frame... …petty tyrants ineffective managers and leaders are …self-absorbed …self-interested …micro-managing whose primary concerns are …“snoopervising” …fault finding …ruling by fiat …issuing memos

24. Abusing human resources frame... …linguini-spined ineffective managers and leaders are …wimps …pushovers …how people feel …avoiding conflict whose primary concerns are …letting others decide …allowing events to take their course

25. Abusing the political frame... …poker-faced ineffective managers and leaders are …con-artists …hustlers …self-interest …plausible alibis whose primary concerns are …masking fraud …deception

26. Abusing the symbolic frame... …fanatics ineffective managers and leaders are …fools …full of “b.s.” …self-preservation …style whose primary concerns are …images …propagandizing

27. The strength of “reframing”... …is its focus upon the multiple uses of core organizational processes  strategic planning  goal setting  decision making  communicating  reorganizing  meetings  motivating  evaluating

37. However... • these frames, as well as the interpretations they offer, imply that... …control is a fact... when it is an illusion …sensemaking is prospective… when it is retrospective …understanding is predictable… not confusion (Weick, 1995)

38. The managerial/leadership reality... • the facts associated with life in organizations... …run contrary to common perceptions and opinion...

39. • First: turbulence, not stability, characterizes organizational life.

40. • Second: people in organizations possess pluralistic, not unitary, views about organizations.

41. • Third: intuition, not rationality, proves to be of greater value in the decision-making process.

42. • Fourth: managers/leaders make few, not many, decisions.

43. the consequence of this organizational reality is that managing and organizations is more like... …“white-water rafting” (Sergiovanni, 1992) …“muddling through” mazes of messes (Lindblom, 1979) …“garbage can decision making” (Cohen, March, & Olsen, 1992)

44. MANAGING/LEADING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE “...it should be considered that nothing is more difficult to handle, more doubtful of success, or more dangerous to manage, than to put oneself at the head of introducing new orders. For the introducer has all those who benefit from the old orders as enemies, and he has lukewarm defenders in all those who might benefit from the new orders.” Machiavelli, The Prince, 1985, p. 23

45. The question, then, is... What does successful leadership management and involve and require?

46. A lesson to remember... • successful managers and leaders... don't seek to make people happy by doing things right

47. successful managers and leaders... earn respect by doing right things

48. For managers and leaders... • the challenge is not so much “reframing” the problems impacting organizational functioning (Bolman & Deal, 1997)... …and actingbased on calculations and contingencieswhether to manage/lead through participation, delegation, selling, or telling (Hersey & Blanchard, 1977)

49. instead, managing/leading organizations is a matter of the human intellect and creative spirit… …a process of “scenario building” …in an overall effort directed at improving organizational functioning

50. Scenario building... • a methodology to assess organizational functioning... ...by developing unitary solutions (i.e., “scenarios”) designed from an accurate diagnosis of the situation (i.e., “framing”)