The Politics of Change: Leading Organizational Change
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This document discusses organizational change and the politics involved in implementing change. It defines organizational politics as informal efforts to influence an organization and achieve objectives. The politics of change refers to the need for power behaviors to implement new ideas. Effective change leaders cannot ignore politics and must understand the political landscape. They should identify both formal and informal influencers, embrace skeptics by addressing their concerns, and role model the desired political skills and commitment to change. Managing the change process requires different skills than leading organizational change.
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The Politics of Change: Leading Organizational Change
- 2. Hello! I am Tricia Nolfi ...and I love change! 2
- 3. YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH CHANGE 3
- 4. The Nature of Organizational Change 4 ◦ Causes of change ◦ Reactions to change ◦ Active Resistance ◦ Passive Resistance ◦ Compliance ◦ Enthusiastic Support ◦ Challenges to leading change
- 5. “Organizational politics refers to a variety of activities associated with the use of influence tactics to improve personal or organizational interests. 5Jarrett, M. (2017, April 24)
- 6. Organizational Politics & Change ◦ Organizational politics are informal, unofficial, and sometimes behind- the-scenes efforts to sell ideas, influence an organization, increase power, or achieve other targeted objectives . ◦ The Politics of Change is the use of or need for power acquisition behavior in order to implement new ideas in an organization. 6 Brandon, R., & Seldman, M. (2004); Hochwarter, W.A., Witt, L.A. and Kacmar, K.M. (2000); Schein, V. E. (1985)
- 7. Change Leaders ◦ Cannot ignore organizational politics ◦ Should exploit political factors ◦ Must understand the political terrain 7Jarrett, M. (2017); Lientz, B. (2004)
- 8. Know the Political Terrain 8 THE WOODS THE HIGH GROUND THE WEEDS THE ROCKS Jarrett, M. (2017)
- 9. The Weeds: Identify and get involved with informal networks The Rocks: Draw on your own and others formal sources of power The High Ground: Develop teams that can operate outside of formal structures The Woods: Make the implicit explicit 9
- 10. Leading Change Managing Change Which is necessary to address the politics during the process? 10
- 11. 11 CHANGE MANAGERS CHANGE LEADERS* ● Move things along ● Focuses on an orderly process ● Keep the process under control ● Avoid disruptions ● Rely on task forces ● Focus on moving from current state to desired state ● Create a sense of urgency ● Build coalitions ● Form a strategic vision ● Enlist volunteers and ambassadors ● Enable action by removing barriers ● Generate short term wins ● Sustain acceleration ● Institute change *Kotter, J. (2014).
- 12. Horizon Scanning Embracing Skeptics Recognizing Undercurrents 12 Role Modeling 🔁
- 13. 13 Horizon Scanning ◦ Identify threats and opportunities ◦ Assess the political environment ◦ Identify formal and informal influencers in your organization
- 14. 14 Recognizing Undercurrents ◦ Know what issues are facing stakeholder ◦ Be aware of who is vying for power ◦ Identify organizational conflicts
- 15. 15 Embracing Skeptics ◦ Know who the active resistors are ◦ Identify their fears and perceived roadblocks ◦ Go for the low hanging fruit
- 16. 16 Role Modeling ◦ Walk the walk ◦ Show your political skill ◦ Demonstrate your commitment to the organization
- 17. “People don't resist change. They resist being changed. 17 Peter Senge
- 18. Discussion 18
- 19. Want to Learn More? Professional Development Class Facilitating Culture and Process Change in Organizations Contact Jamie Mitchell at jmitchell@rider.edu MS Higher Education, Assessment, Analytics and Change Leadership Inspire change in higher education with enterprising, data- driven solutions. rider.edu/heaacm MA Organizational Leadership Developing people- oriented leaders rider.edu/orgleader 19
- 20. 20 Thank you! Any questions? You can find me at: ◦ @TriciaNolfi(Twitter) ◦ tnolfi@rider.edu ◦ Tricia Nolfi (LinkedIn)
- 21. 21 Resources Brandon, R., & Seldman, M. (2004). Survival of the savvy: High-integrity political tactics for career and company success. New York: Free Press. Hochwarter, W.A., Witt, L.A. and Kacmar, K.M. (2000) Perceptions of Organizational Politics as a Moderator of Relationship between Conscientiousness and Job Performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85, 472-478 Jarrett, M. (2017, April 24). The 4 types of organizational politics. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2017/04/the-4-types-of-organizational-politics Kotter, J. (2014). Accelerate. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business Review Press Lientz, B. (2004). Politics and the resistance to change. In Breakthrough IT Change Management (pp. 33–47). https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-7506-7686-1.50005-2 Schein, V. E. (1985). Organizational realities. The politics of change. Performance + Instruction, 24(2), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1002/pfi.4150240202 University of Minnesota Libraries (2019). Organizational Behavior. Open Source Text.
Editor's Notes
- [ Jamie provide instructions for questions and chat box] Good afternoon! Thank you for joining me for the Politics of Change webinar ________________________________ Nav on left to advance Use headset Go on 11:45 to test Set up poll - can practice on Monday (LetJamie know) - email is poll instructions Send Jamie prepared questions and final deck
- I am Tricia Nolfi and am program director for the MS Higher Education, Assessment and Analytics and the MA Organizational Leadership Programs at Rider university I wanted to do this webinar because I love organizational change and have always been fascinated with the politics that emerge during times of change. POLL: How many of you enjoy change?
- So, judging from your response to the poll [ TBD ] When it comes to organizational change—like many things—people have good experiences and bad experiences. But for tsh eof us who are leading change efforts,we want to do everything we can to make is a positive and rewarding experience for our colleagues and the organization as a whole. So, over the next hour we’ll briefly discuss the nature of change but spend most of our time discussing politics. And I suspect that when I say the word politics, for many of you that holds some negative connotations. But, it can also be a positive thing. But before we tackle that topic, let’s spend a few moments discussing the nature of change.
- There are many causes of change in our organizations including changing demographics, advances in technology, globalization, market conditions, or positive or negative performance. Organizational leaders address these causes by implementing change strategies...which can cause a wide range of reactions to change. Active resistance is the most negative reaction and those who engage in active resistance may sabotage the change effort and be outspoken objectors to the change. In contrast, passive resistance is when an individual is disturbed by changes without necessarily voicing these opinions. Instead, passive resisters may quietly dislike the change, feel stressed and unhappy, and even look for an alternative job without necessarily bringing their point to the attention of leaders. Compliance, on the other hand, involves going along with proposed changes with little enthusiasm. And as a leader, you cannot really tell if these individuals are on board or not. And finally, those who show enthusiastic support are defenders of the new ways of working and ideas and actually encourage others around them to give support to the change effort as well. Ideally, we want those enthusiastic supporters in our organizations. So with these reactions, come obvious challenges to leading change. The first being trying to assess organizational members’ reactions—which of the four are they? Then, there is the challenge about how individuals are introduced to change. Many change efforts fail because people are insufficiently prepared for change. Finally, there is the challenge that other leaders within the organization are not on board with the change efforts or are using the opportunity to pursue their own interest and goals—rather than the goals of the organization. And that’s where politics can come into play.
- And that leads us to politics. Organizational politics refers to a variety of activities associated with the use of influence tactics to improve personal or organizational interests. Politics by its very nature is not a bad thing—it can be good. However, when politics chooses to rear its ugly head it can disrupt the organizational change process. So as we move forward with this webinar, be mindful that politics can be positive or negative. ASK: Can anyone give an example of the negative influence of politics during an organizational change?
- Let's dive a little deeper into politics and change. So, what do I mean by organizational politics? Organizational politics are informal and unofficial, and sometimes occur behind-the-scenes. It’s an individual’s effort to sell ideas, influence a process—like change— or influence a facet of the organization. The goal here is to achieve a specific objective. Commonly, politics have been viewed in a negative light, but politics can be positive. Organizational politics become problematic when they are intended to derail plans and focus on benefiting the few— rather than the whole—organization. The Politics of Change is a facet of organizational politics. It is the use of or need for power acquisition behaviors in order to implement new ideas in an organization. This definition by Virginia Schein is positive in focus. And as leaders, we can use politics to achieve our change goals. But, today we will also discuss how to address negative political behaviors. So, how does this affect our ability to lead while pursuing change?
- I think there are three things to keep in mind when leading change: Leaders cannot ignore organizational politics. It is present in every change situation. Again, politics can be good or bad, but you need to be attuned to the negative undercurrents that may be at play. A key takeaway from our discussion today is that change leaders must exploit political factors and use them for the advantage of implementing change. So, what do I mean by “exploit”? You want to first recognize that politics is a fact of organizational life. No matter what you say or do, political factors do not disappear. Understand the nature of politics in your organization and use that knowledge to leverage influence for the changes you are pursuing. [Example] Leaders have to understand the specific political situation—the terrain—in the organization so they can use this knowledge in getting support for lasting change. This is part of the politics of change. In tandem, these behaviors can lead to success. ASK: Any questions about the positive nature of politics? So, let’s explore the political terrain topic a bit more.
- I really love these metaphors that describe the political terrain of an organization and how leaders can respond to the varying dynamics. Organizations can move through these various terrains—even during a single process of change. The Woods are the implicit norms, hidden assumptions, and unspoken routines of the organization. You know they are there but you may not be able to clearly see or identify them. The woods can provide cover and safety for people in your organization or they can be a place where good ideas and necessary changes get lost. Sound familiar? When change is introduced, someone may focus solely on the presenting issue in the absence of recognizing the culture and unwritten practices. So thinking back to the reactions to change—in this terrain you may see those who are compliant with the changes...or those who resist. [Example] The Weeds: In this quadrant, personal influence and informal networks rule. Always. It’s called “the weeds” because it’s a dynamic that grows naturally, without any maintenance...and eventually takes over your yard! It can be a good thing, but if left unchecked, the weeds can choke out other growth—allowing nothing (or no one) else to emerge. In these circumstances, informal networks can be an alternate force to legitimate power and ultimately, the long-term interests of the organization. This is where you might find your active and passive resistors residing. Power in “the rocks” rests on individual interactions and formal—or “hard”—sources of authority such as title, role, or access to resources. It might also include political capital that arises from strong ties to a high status group such as the budget committee, a special task force, or being a part of the senior management team. The rocks serve as a stabilizing foundation that keeps an organization steady but through it’s formal and perhaps rigid, reporting relationships and power structure it can inhibit change efforts. Here you may find active resistance from those who find comfort in existing structures and protocols. Finally, the High Ground combines formal authority with organizational systems. It’s the rules, structures, policy guidelines, and procedures that form the basis of political activities. The benefits of these rules and procedures are that they provide a check against the whims of charismatic or autocratic individuals. You can think of the ‘high ground’ as providing guide rails for the rocks. A problem with organizations on the high ground is that they tend to be risk-averse as members are favor the stability of what is known. This can pose an issue when trying to implement new ideas or ways of thinking. Here, you might find active resistors to the proposed change. So, as you see from these examples, it poses challenge for leaders to engage enthusiastic supporters to the change efforts due to these facets of organization politics. And your goal is to foster the growth of those supporters. But you have to know how to navigate the political terrain.
- So, how do you do that? As you lead a change process, you may come across one or several of these scenarios. If you are stuck in The Weeds, identify and get involved with informal networks and identify the key power brokers in those networks. Become ally with them so that you can increase your own influence as a change leader. Now keep in mind that these power brokers may not be designated by organizational position. They can be the employee who has been with the organization for 20 years or a shop steward in a union. Now if these individuals are doing more harm than good, you can try to isolate them by developing a counter-narrative and strengthening connections with other networks. [example] The Rocks: This is probably the most challenging of situations to navigate. Here, you must draw on formal sources of power in the organization, rather than fighting against them. And depending upon your our position, you might find this intimidating. Your best bet is to redirect the energy of an uncooperative manager either through reasoned argument or by appealing to their interests. Remember---politics is about use of influence to improve personal or organizational interests. If you are stuck on the The High Ground you can try emphasizing that not changing can be even riskier than trying something new. Here you can surface the dissatisfaction of employees and other stakeholders so they see the benefit of the new approach. You can also argue that a separate group or task force needs to be set up to examine an issue or to bridge silos. This creates a working space outside of the formal organizational structures, norms, and routines of the organization—it can be an alternate source of power that may help you move your efforts along. Such groups can also revitalize innovation and change. When you are in The Woods make the implicit explicit and openly discuss the norms and expectations of the organization. Once the implicit assumptions are out in the open, ask organizational members to reflect on whether they’re helping your organization or hindering it. Yes, this leads to discussions about things are getting done—but sometimes you have to pull back the curtain and see what the Wizard is up to! So as we discussed earlier, organizational politics refers to the use of influence to improve personal or organizational interests. By being aware of the terrain in which you walk, you can identify specific tactics to increase your power to influence change in your organization.
- Now that we have an understanding of change and how politics influence, I want to spend a few moments discussing change leadership. ASK THE QUESTION: What is the difference between managing change and leading change? Is one better than the other?
- Both leaders and managers are needed. But change leaders through their engagement with others throughout the organization will be more attuned to change politics. You need good managers to work with you to help manage the process, but leaders are deeply attuned to the need of organizational members throughout the process and the overarching vision. Change leadership is focused on transforming organizations. If you look at the process that leaders use to facilitate change, you will note that the first four actions: Create a sense of urgency Build coalitions, Form a strategic vision, and Enlist volunteers and ambassadors not only require leaders to be intuned with the organization culture, but they have to have a sense of the political undercurrents that at be at play. For example, if the organization has power on the hard, rigid rocks then building coalitions may prove difficult. The effective change leader will know what startegies to employ to increase his or her power in an effort to enable action and institute change.
- So,, as we begin to wrap up, I want to focus on four behaviors that change leaders can use to manage the politics of change.
- Horizon scanning involves identifying early signs of potentially important developments through an examination of potential threats and opportunities. This involves exploring both the internal and external environment that may impact the change effort. As we just discussed, Assessing the political dynamics and terrain of the organization is critical and then taking necessary steps to alter your strategy based upon the political dynamics. Knowing who the formal and informal influencers can provide insight as you build coalitions and recruit ambassadors for the change. Horizon scanning can help leaders develop the big picture—that strategic vision— and the related issues to be examined.
- To be effective, change leaders need to be in touch with the issues affecting their stakeholders. Be attuned to the mood in the organization and have your ear to the ground. This wil clue you into any issues that may be pressing against your efforts People in organizations compete for power especially when there is a perception of scarce resources and opportunities. In other words, people cannot get the power they want just for the asking. As we discussed before, They will use their influence to achieve their own personal needs. Organizational leaders strive for commitment to a common purpose. It’s what they should do. But the reality is that conflicts of interest exist among people who ultimately share a common goal and are supposed to work together. This is a primary cause of organizations being political—conflicts of interest. [Example: An employee is told that his scope of responsibilities will be cut for the benefit of the organization. This causes a conflict. Should the employee acquiesce for the idea of common good or fight in the service of their self-interest? So, a leader needs to be aware how this conflict of interst may impact the employees’ ability support or even fully engage in change.]
- Michael Corleone in the Godfather said, “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.” Now, I don’t want you to think that those who are not buying into the change are your enemies, but the implication of this quote is that you should know well those who are working against your efforts. Identify what is causing those individuals to work against your efforts. [Example: RIAS implementation and job loss]. Enable them by removing barriers One of the best way to get the skeptics on board to your change efforts is to generate short term wins. And it’s not just going for that low hanging fruit but in recognizing how organizational members contributed that success.
- And finally, the last thing you must do is be a role model. So, how does role modeling affect politics of change? Your employees and colleagues take their attitudinal cues from you, so practice what you preach. Don’t just talk the talk but walk the walk. Display a positive attitude in the face of adversity, steer clear of gossip, and never openly criticize the decisions of others. That’s what you would expect of others, right? Political skill refers to a leader’s interpersonal style, including her ability to relate well to others, self-monitor behaviors, alter her reactions depending upon the situation they are in, and inspire confidence and trust. Individuals who are high on political skill are more effective at influencing others...including superiors. Finally, demonstrate your investment in and commitment to the organization. This models good political behaviour. If you are highly invested in your organization you will be more likely to successfully navigate the politics of change because you obviously care deeply about the fate of the organization. These behaviors speak directly to your ability to influence others—a critical skill necessary in leading change and managing politics.
- So as we wrap up,
- ASK: With the XX minutes we have remaining, are there any questions?
- If you enjoyed this webinar I wanted to share with you some options to leran more. We have a 7 week online class, Facilitating Culture and Process Change in Organizations, that you can take later this Fall in October and again in 2020. You can take this course as a noncredit, professional development option. At Rider we also have two graduate programs that have change leadership as a central component of the curriculum. Both can be taken in fully online accelerated formats. You can view our website or contact me after today.