10. Understanding Change

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Chapter Overview

Understanding and facilitating change is a major task in the leadership process.

Facilitating change is complex, fragile, exhilarating, and rewarding.

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Understanding Change

We no longer simply manage change, we now pursue change. How individuals react to change may take on distinct cultural

characteristics, but our ideas of how to facilitate change within organizations vary little across cultures.

Losing control is a common fear of human beings and a common concern when change is introduced.

We often fear the unknown or are unsettled in changes to our patterns and ways of life.

Even individuals or groups who are committed to making change may have an immunity to change due to hidden competing assumptions that become obstacles in the change process.

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Change vs. Transition

Change occurs at a specific time and involves something beginning or ending.

A transition cannot be pinpointed to a particular time and always begins with an ending.

Transitions are much more difficult because they are psychological processes that take time to complete.

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Managing Change

Four potential resources that can be used to help manage change: Situation: how you feel about the change, the timing Yourself: how you view change, your previous history of

change and so on Supports: people and resources that can be of assistance Strategies for coping: steps taken to proactively engage

the change Understanding how change impacts you and others

around you will help you be a more successful leader of change.

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Understanding Change from an Individual Perspective

As you prepare to facilitate change: Reflect on patterns of human behavior and

how to respond to people’s reactions to change.

Human beings, in general, want to control their environments, and some experience an even greater need to be in control of their surroundings.

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Why People are Resistant to Change (O’Toole)

1. Satisfaction

2. Fear

3. Self-interest

4. Lack of self-confidence

5. Myopia

6. Habit

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Immunity to Change

In addressing the immunity to change, there are three processes leaders and groups can use in uncovering hidden competing commitments: Guide the group using questions to uncover hidden

commitments. Ask individuals or members to identify what is at the

core of their hidden commitments. Engage the individual or group members to start the

process of changing their own behavior so the group can move toward facilitating the intended change for the organization.

Kegan, R. & Lahey, L. L. (2009). Immunity to change: How to overcome it and unlock the potential in yourself and your organization. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press.

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Immunity to Change

This process is complex and takes time. The power of this model is understanding hidden and competing commitments that can block change efforts.

These competing commitments should be viewed as opportunities for others to learn and grown and not as weaknesses.

What often emerges under these competing commitments is a basic human response of self-protection (big assumptions or “deeply rooted beliefs about themselves and the world around them”).

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Questioning Big Assumptions

Notice and record the current behavior. Look for contrary evidence. Explore the history. Test the assumption. Evaluate the results.

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Reactions to Negative Change or Changes Individuals Cannot Control

Phase 1: Stability Phase 2: Immobilization Phase 3: Denial Phase 4: Anger Phase 5: Bargaining Phase 6: Depression Phase 7: Testing Phase 8: Acceptance

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The Typology of Change

Adjustment (I) Isolated Change (II)

Far-Reaching Change (III) Transformational Change (IV)

Low High

Low

Hig

h

Depth

Per

vasi

vene

s

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Facilitating Change

Core values are a fundamental driving factor in leading successful change efforts.

Introducing change for the sake of change is contrary to facilitating change based on fundamental values.

A challenge is to help others cope with their uncertainties and fears.

As Rubin, Dierdoff, Bommer, and Baldwin (2009) have found, if the leader(s) are cynical about change, participants in the organization will mirror these attitudes and be cynical about changes.

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The Eight-Stage Process of Creating Major Change

1. Establishing a Sense of Urgency

2. Creating the Guiding Coalition

3. Developing a Vision and Strategy

4. Communicating the Change Vision

5. Empowering Broad-Based Action

6. Generating Short-Term Wins

7. Consolidating Gains and Producing More Change

8. Anchoring New Approaches in the CultureSource: Reprinted by permission of Harvard Business Review from: “Leading change: Why Transformation efforts Fail” by J. Kotter, 73, 1995

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No matter what approach you take to try to implement change, you must first establish a

sense of urgency.

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“We are much too complacent. And we don’t even know it.”―Kotter