Governors Center LBJ School of Public Affairs The University of Texas at Austin Joyce Sparks...

Governor’s CenterLBJ School of Public AffairsThe University of Texas at Austin

Joyce Sparks

TexShareInterlibrary Loan

Workshop

October 9, 2009Austin, Texas

• More change

• Coming faster

• More variables

• More interdependence

• More unanticipated consequences

• Less time to react to events

• Increased ambiguity & uncertainty

AC

CELER

ATIO

NA

CC

ELER

ATIO

N

Past TodayTIME

VolumeMomentumComplexity

What Change are you

experiencing?

Personally & Organizationall

y

Whatfrustrates

you most?

Change?

When Experience Doesn’t Match

Expectations

After?Before?

Macro

Micro

Organizational

“I”Must Change

“We”Must Change

“Everyone”Must Change

TIME

EMOTIONAL RESPONSE

PassivePassive

AActivectiveAngerAngerAngerAnger

BargainingBargainingBargainingBargaining

DenialDenialDenialDenial

DepressionDepressionDepressionDepression

TestingTestingTestingTesting

AcceptanceAcceptanceAcceptanceAcceptance

ImmobilizationImmobilizationImmobilizationImmobilization

Pessim

ism

Pessim

ism

Checking OutChecking Out

TimeTime

Informed PessimismInformed Pessimism

Hopeful RealismHopeful Realism

Informed OptimismInformed Optimism

Uninformed OptimismUninformed OptimismCompletionCompletion

Transition

DescribeFutureState

AnalyzeCurrentReality

People change for their

reasons …not

yours.

Changes radically different than

culture are difficult to achieve

Changes consistent with

culture are more likely to be successful

Primate CommunitiesExperiment

Primate CommunitiesExperiment

Primate CommunitiesExperiment

Primate CommunitiesExperiment

Primate CommunitiesExperiment

Resistance toChange

Recognize fear is natural Remember past successes Visualize the positive end Fake it!

Know when to let go Focus on what you can control Keep your goals in sight Check out your support network

Can you

absorb?

Lower Demand Raise Capacity

Stupid Change

Good Ideas

Business

Imperatives

How do we get

beyond just

coping?

Positive

Focused

Flexible

Organized

Proactive

Listen to your self-talk.

Review your personal mission.

Keep an open mind to new

possibilities.

Take care of yourself.

Check your support network.

What does your

“self-talk”

sound like?

What we don’t

want to lose

Vision for where

we are going

What could go

wrong?

Crisis or danger

we are facing

1

2

From Polarity Management by Barry Johnson

3

4

Try to influence the situation

Try to influence the situation

Try to see things differently

Try to influence the situation

Try to see things differently

Go somewhere else!

It will only get faster.

Stop waiting for things to slow down.

Stop expecting to be happy with change.

Pay attention to how you learn, not what you

know.

The Dog Poop InitiativeBy Kirk Weisler

A true story of pointers and scoopers!

What one thing will…

do to promote your own and your organization’s effectiveness at managing

change?

Page #10of Handout