Observations, Understandings, Decisions and Actions

ORGANIZATION CHANGE

Some Observations about Change• Complexity. The phenomena of

change involves multiple variables interacting in multiple ways ay multiple levels.

• Challenges. Managing change involves wrestling with institutional, interpersonal and individual forces.

• Creativity. Successfully developing capacities to both encourage and encounter change requires imaginative observations, understandings, decision and actions.

C

Some Observations about Change• Harnessing. Every change intervention

releases both positive (change supporting) and negative (change resisting) forces which must be managed with skill.

• Harvesting. Change plans should anticipate a rather long period of preparation to create both the readiness and resources the change will require.

• Humility. Effective change advocates quickly realize that they must act as catalysts rather than commanders, and learn to both encourage and resource others who actually create the change that is desired

H

Some Observations about Change• Action. Ideas and plans (anticipation)

do not cause real change to occur – only action can seek to make things different.

• Anxiety. Change always creates anxiety for both advocates and resistors to change – honestly recognizing and dealing constructively with this anxiety is crucial to change that endures.

• Anticipation. Change initiatives anticipate certain kinds of results – in fact, change efforts rarely produce results precisely as anticipated. Change produces both desired and undesired results in ultimately unpredictable degrees.

A

Some Observations about Change• Negotiation. While change is often

“ordered” by those “on top,” there are always visible and less visible negotiations in both formal and informal venues, at institutional, interpersonal and individual levels.

• Natural systems. We can learn important principles about the character and conduct of change from natural systems ranging from diseases to animals.

• Navigation. Change management is more like sailing than power boating – navigating the twist and turns of change while keeping the “end in mind” allows positive progress without absolute precision.

N

Some Observations about Change• Growth. The aim of any particular

change must ultimately also include growth in the ability of the organization to make future changes. Selection of short term means must include recognition of long term growth capabilities.

• Gambling. All real change involves some degree of risk taking, an assessment that the probable benefits will outweigh the probable costs.

• Groups. Organizations are actually composites of a variety of formal and informal groups. Group characteristics and behaviors can both help and hinder desired organizational change.

G

Some Observations about Change• Entropy. All organizational systems

gradually and inevitably lose their energy; change is necessary in order to refocus, redirect and reenergize organizations (and individuals)

• Effectiveness and Efficiency. Almost all organization change is targeted at helping organizations and individuals achieve more desirable ends (efficiency) and/or more desirable means (efficiency).

• Energy. Almost all change requires greater energy and effort than might be anticipated to overcome the internal forces of momentum, inertia, gravity and entropy.

E