PGO Verandermanagement · PGO Verandermanagement Adaptive Leadership BUT: the most common cause of failure in leadership is treating adaptive challenges as if they were “technical”

PGO Verandermanagement


Domains of organizational life and reality

•  Visible •  Rational •  Structured •  Conscious

•  Invisible •  Irrational •  Unstructured •  Unconscious

Department

Business Unit

Team

Division

Organization

Dyad

Individual

© Erik van de Loo


Task Technical Adaptive

Direction Provide problem Definition & solution

Identify the adaptive challenge; frame key question & issues

Protection Protect from external threats Disclose external threats

Order Orientation

Conflict

Norms

Orient people to current roles

Restore order

Maintain norms

Disorient current roles; resist orienting people to new roles too quickly

Expose conflict or let it emerge

Challenge norms or let them be challenged

Leadership from a position of authority

Source: R. Heifetz, A. Grashow & M. Linsky, The Practice of Adaptive Leadership, 2009

PGO Verandermanagement Adaptive Leadership

BUT: the most common cause of failure in leadership is treating adaptive challenges as if

they were “technical” problems.

Technical problems can be very complex and extremely important (e.g. replacing a faulty

heart valve); they have solutions that can be implemented based on current know-how.

Success comes from the application of authoritative expertise and the organizations

structure, procedures and ways of doing things

Adaptive challenges can only be addressed by changes in people’s priorities, beliefs,

habits and loyalties. Not authoritative expertise but discovery, letting go of past

solutions, tolerating losses and generating a capacity to thrive in anew is what leads to

success


PGO Verandermanagement The Productive Zone of Disequilibrium

dis

equili

brium

time

limit of tolerance

threshold of change

productive zone

technical problem

adaptive challenges

work avoidance

Observe Interpret Intervene



Organizational Role Analysis

Role

Person Organization


Understanding the Role of the Leader

•  Primary Task •  Primary Risk •  Anxiety •  Social Defenses

© Erik van de Loo


Personal Leadership Competencies and beyond

Personal Leadership

Core themes - Drives - Wishes and Needs - Norms and Values - Inner Scripts

Competencies - Skills - Knowledge - Roles

Characteristics - Traits - Styles - Temperament

© Erik van de Loo



Three change agenda’s

  Rational

  Emotional

  Behavioural

© Erik van de Loo


Change and Transition

  Change - Change in external situation

  Transition - Internal psychological reorientation related to

change

Source W. Bridges, Managing Transitions


Definition of Transition

•  The gradual, psychological reorientation process that happens inside us as we adapt to an external change.

•  The transition process often results from a change, or occurs along with a change, but may also begin before the change actually takes place.

Source: W. Bridges, Managing Transitions


Change and Transition

  Change

- Events - Situation - Result-oriented - Relatively fast

  Transition

- Experience - Psychological - Process - Relatively slow



Radical Transitions

  Anxiety   Uncertainty   Affected self-image   Resistance   Dependency   Loss and sadness   Rivalry and competition   Anger towards

organisation and self   Shame

  Hope   Opportunities for improvement   Enthusiasm   Creativity   Commitment   Relief   Salvation



Transition Process

Ending Neutral zone Beginning



Change vs. Transition •  Change is situational and happens without people transitioning •  Transition is psychological and is a 3 phase process where people gradually

accept the details of the new situation and the changes that come with it.

Ending New Beginning

Neutral Zone

Source: William Bridges

Denial

Shock

Anger

Frustration/ Stress

Ambivalence

Enthusiasm

Skepticism

Acceptance

Importance

Hope


Neutral Zone

  Unclear - in between phase   Radio silence   Symptoms don’t automatically imply that there is a

(malignant) resistance to change   Anxiety level up   Productivity down   Employees overburdened   Mixed signals   Motivation down   Old weaknesses reactivated



Managing Transition   Endings

- Change is the new situation - To start with the new, one has to leave the

old behind - There has to be an Ending - Transition means letting go precious things - Transition starts with loss


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PGO Verandermanagement · PGO Verandermanagement Adaptive Leadership BUT: the most common cause of failure in leadership is treating adaptive challenges as if they were “technical”