Change Management

Change Management WACUBO BMI Ruth Johnston, Ph.D. Associate Vice President Office of Strategy Management University of Washington Finance and Facilities 206 685 9838, ruthj@u.washington.edu

“Great spiritshave always encounteredviolent oppositionfrom mediocre minds.” Albert Einstein

Words to Describe Change n. alteration, transformation, mutation, shift, fluctuation, swing, modulation, metamorphosis, revolution, conversion; modification, adjustment, amendment; transition, flux, movement, motion, upheaval. transition, flux, movement, motion, upheaval. The Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus

For decision-makers Intentional change is: purposeful necessary planned paced an improvement an opportunity for growth A beginning Feel like a navigator For implementors Imposed change is: unexpected unnecessary out of control disruptive a problem allows no choice An ending Feel like a victim or survivor How is Change Viewed?

Eight Stage Change Process Note: the sequence is important! • Establish a sense of urgency • Create a guiding coalition • Develop a vision and strategy • Communicate your change vision • Empower broad-based action • Generate short term wins • Consolidate gains and produce more change • Anchor new approaches in the culture John Kotter, 1996

Planning for Change • What are you changing? • How are you going about the planning process? • How are you soliciting feedback from staff, customers, process partners, etc.? • What communication methods are you using with/from your staff, colleagues, supervisor and customers to keep them informed?

Three Phases of Transition • Transitions Begin with Endings • of some relationships • of some job duties • of some expectations What are some of the things you need to let go of? William Bridges

Elements of the Neutral Zone • Nothing works well • A feeling of being nowhere between two somewheres • Anxiety rises and motivation falls • Feeling disoriented • Becoming self-protective • People often miss more time from work • Feeling of overload • Priorities confused • Information mis-communicated • People become polarized—some rush ahead while some go backward • Discord rises • Some creativity emerges William Bridges

“It’s not so much that we’re afraid of change, or so in love with the old ways, but it’s that place in between we fear…it’s like being in between trapezes. It’s Linus when his blanket is in the dryer. There’s nothing to hold on to.” Marilyn Ferguson

Personal Responses to Change • Victim • Survivor • Navigator

Workforce Roller Coaster Management vs. Staff Roller Coaster Employees Management Roller Coasters of Change Roller Coaster of Change Impact Reconstruction Turmoil Adjustment

Three Conditions of Successful Change 1. Valid Information — good communication going and coming to all levels of employees 2. Informed Choice — having the opportunity for all levels of people to have some choice about the new plans and changes. • Internal Commitment — to have any change be successful all people must be committed to the course of action. There will be varying degrees of commitment, of course, but to be truly successful all people need to be committed to the general direction. Chris Argyris

Myths and Realities of Change Myth: I’m not in a position to make a difference Reality: You’re either part of the solution, or part of the problem Myth: Top management is supposed to make these changes work Reality: If you work here, this is your plan Myth: They don’t know what they’re doing Reality: Top managers have a pretty good idea of what they’re doing, but can’t do it without running into problems or making some mistakes Myth: The changes weren’t really necessary Reality: What’s necessary now is to make the changes work Myth: This will go away Reality: Change is here to stay Myth: It will help if I get upset about this Reality: Controlling your emotions increases your control over the situation Myth: Top management knows a lot more than they are telling Reality: The odds are that higher management is being as open and straightforward as the situation permits Myth: Management doesn’t care about us Reality: Management has to make some tough decisions, and it’s impossible to keep everyone happy Pritchett and Pound

Cognitive Viruses • Magnification (turned the consequences of a negative event into a catastrophe) 2. Destructive Labeling (an extreme form of over generalization and negativity) 3. Imperative Thinking (having a list of inflexible rules about how you and others should act) 4. Mind Reading (attributing motives to people that explain their actions to your satisfaction) Source: Henrie Weisinger

Why is Change Denied and Resisted? Resistance increases when... 1. The purpose of the change is not made clear. 2. The need for change is not understood. 3. Communication regarding the change is poor. 4. People who will be involved with the change are not included in planning. 5. There are no rewards. 6. Key people are not seen as really supporting the change. 7. People perceive a negative impact on their social relations. 8. Change is introduced too slowly or quickly. 9. Habit patterns are ignored. 10. Key job duties are exchanged. 11. Feelings of failure exist. 12. There is a tendency to seek security in the past. 13. There is a lack of confidence in the outcome of change. 14. Too much pressure exists. 15. Vested interests are involved. 16. The status quo can’t be reestablished if the change proves unacceptable. 17. People believe the change will reflect negatively on their past performances. 18. Poor behavior on the part of others is tolerated during the change process. 19. The change process is not open to input or critique. 20. Decisions are passed down hierarchically and therefore some people have much information and others have little. 21. The timing for the change is bad. 22. One change means many changes. 23. People want to know what the outcome will be before the change occurs. 24. Behavioral change usually comes in small steps. Pritchett and Pound

What are Your Preferences? Extraversion ------------------- Introversion Sensing--------------------------------Intuition Thinking----------------------------------Feeling Judging---------------------------Perceiving Myers Briggs Type Indicator

Where Do We Start? Focus on Type 1 problems and prepare for Type 2 problems. Type 1: Control — We have the information, expertise, resources and authority necessary to solve the problem. Type 2: Influence — We do not have full control, but can influence the outcome, with assistance. Type 3: Neither — We have neither control nor influence, and should not take on this problem. Chris Argryis

1. The manager needs to be a great salesperson, able to be persuasive and inspiring to the staff. They must be able to elicit the commitment of their workers to the mission and strategies of the department and organization 2. Supervisors need to utilize Selective performance reviews based on critical indicators. Managers need to identify the most Important characteristics of individual and group performance and measure them to gain a general understanding of work effectiveness. Skills for Managing Change 3. Managers needs to learn how to let go, to allow the staff to do their jobs and make appropriate decision. 4. Supervisors must enjoy being visible, spreading information, speaking on behalf of their staffs, and gaining confidence from those the unit serves.

5. Managers and supervisors must be highly flexible and independent. They must be able to deal with the ambiguities of changing environments and to work with their staffs to help them be tolerant and flexible. Managers must be self-directed and have a broad view of the organization. 6. The managers cannot be desk bound. They should not spend as much time filling out forms or completing technical work. They should spend time walking around, communicating, providing support and including people in future planning. 7. Supervisors should look for things to stop doing. Reports should be shortened, forms reduced, old practices evaluated and abolished when possible. 8. Managers must focus on those the unit serves and how to best meet those demands. The supervisors must work with their staff to adjust employee views to focus on the customer rather than themselves. All decisions should be based on who the unit serves, not the people who work there. Information collected primarily from Downsizing by Robert Tomasko Skills for Managing Change

Acknowledge the Past Be courageous, empower yourself Take charge: management by committee won’t work Be persuasive Set a clear agenda Create temporary policies and procedures Do it quickly Do it clearly Be definitive Include input of your key employees Communicate Focus on hard results • Trust will be down • Morale will be down • Loyalty will be down • Stress will be up Re-recruit the keepers • They are your cornerstones • Make them feel important • Capture their spirit • Stabilize the group Carve out new roles and responsibilities • Be detailed • Try not to have overlap right now • Cut out duties where possible • Keep track of performance Coaching Skills During Change

Deal with conflict • Expect old issues to surface • Use facilitators Set up a transition monitoring team Show urgency for change • Demonstrate your energy, drive and passion • Be a good role model • Keep reasons for change on peoples’ minds Tighten discipline • Set high standards • Be tightly organized • Be clear and explicit • Define criteria • Expect to be challenged • Deal with poor performers Give psychological boosts •Words of encouragement • Compliments • Develop recognition programs • Be empathetic • Say thank you • Show personal interest • LISTEN • Show you care Communicate • Give constant updates of all kinds • Repeat all communications • Make sure issues are aired • Invite argument and allow conflict • Keep a high profile Create a shared vision Balance the task (what) with the process (how) Eliminate fear Play angel’s advocate Coaching Skills During Change

1. Physical exercise, at least thirty minutes three times a week. 2. Learn relaxation techniques. 3. Cut down on caffeine. 4. Eat right. 5. Meditate. 6. Develop better time management. 7. Play, have fun, recharge. 8. Get plenty of sleep. 9. Smile more. Laugh. 10. Count your blessings…make thankfulness a habit. 11. Say nice things when you talk to yourself. 12. Personal goals. Give yourself a sense of purpose. 13. Forgive. Grudges are too heavy to carry around. 14. Simplify. 15. Practice optimism. 16. Take breaks and lunches! What else can/do you do? Adapted from Pritchett and Pound Ways to Reduce Stress

How do you approach change? Full Skeptics Doubters Waiting in wings Humming Singing What are you? How can you become a “singer”, or at least a “hummer?”

Success factors in leading effective change 1. Embrace it 2. Take initiative and try different things/take risks 3. Follow through/make things happen 4. Be persistent 5. Be patient 6. Reflect/adapt/be flexible 7. Try to find some humor 8. Involve the right people/build teams 9. Communicate, communicate, communicate 10. Measure processes 11. Build allies 12. Focus on customer needs 13. Focus on process improvement • Choose your battles • Treat yourself well Ruth Johnston, Ph.D.

It goes, of course, without saying that people who go through life with the attitude that all events are fully and totally their own, personal, and inexorable responsibility are likely to exert much more effort toward succeeding as persons than those who always ascribe difficulties to fate and say they can do nothing about events. The true existentialist, however, goes far beyond this already commendable resolution to accept responsibilities…We are in fact responsible for success as well as failure in life, irrespective of whether we are prepared to accept and assume such responsibility. Peter Koestenbaum and Peter Block, 2001

Bibliography • Bardwick, Judith. Danger in the Comfort Zone: From Boardroom to Mailroom–How to Break the Entitlement Habit That’s Killing American Business, Amacom, 1991. • Bennis, Warren G. Changing Organizations, New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1966. • Bridges, William. Surviving Corporate Transitions, New York, NY: Doubleday, 1988. • Bridges, William. Managing Transitions, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., 1991. • Farren, Carla. Training and Development, February 2002 • Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence, New York, NY: Bantam, 1995. • Gutknecht, Douglas B. and Janet R. Miller. Organizational and Human Resources Sourcebook, 2nd ed. New York, NY: University of America, 1990. • Hannum, Ruderman, Brittain Leslie and Steed, Center for Creative Leadership Newsletter, Nov/Dec 2001 • Hart, Lois B. Learning from Conflict: A Handbook for Trainers and Group Leaders, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1981. • Kaye, Beverly L. and S. Jordan-Evans Love ’Em or Lose ’Em: Getting Good People to Stay, Berrett-Koehler, 1999

Bibliography (continued) • Knudson, Harry R., Robert T. Woodworth, and Cecil H. Bell. “Managing Change in Organizations,” Management: An Experiential Approach, McGraw-Hill, 1979. • Koestenbaum, Peter and Peter Block, Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2001. Freedom and Accountability at Work: Applying Philosophic Insight to the Real World • Kotter, P. and L.A. Schesinger. “Choosing Strategies for Change,” Harvard Business Review, March–April 1979, 111. • Morin, William J. Successful Termination, New York, NY: Drake Beam Morin, Inc., 1993. • Nadler, David A. “Managing Transitions to Uncertain Future States,” Organizational Dynamics, Summer 1982, 37-45. • Pritchett, Price. and Ron Pound. The Employee Handbook for Organizational Change, 1990. • Scott, Cynthia D., and Dennis T. Jaffe. Managing Organizational Change: Leading Your Team Through Transition, Los Altos, CA: Crisp Publications, 1989. • Smith, Douglas. Taking Charge of Change, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., 1996. • Tomasko, Robert M. Downsizing: Reshaping the Corporation for the Future, New York, NY: AMA, 1987. • Tubbs, Stewart. Ann Arbor Regional Business to Business, November 2001. As credited to Jane Dutton and Susan Ashford in The Academy of Management Journal.

Change Management