Change Management In Organisations

Module 1
Part 1
The Change / Learning Process

How does learning / change begin?
• Disconfirmation – information that things are not working,
expectations are not being met creates…
• Survival anxiety or guilt. The fear, shame or guilt associated
with not learning something new. But the prospect of learning
something new creates…
• Learning anxiety. The feelings associated with an inability or
unwillingness to learn something new because (1) it requires
unlearning and temporary incompetence, (2) loss of power or
status, (3) loss of group membership, (4) loss of identity.
• Hence resistance to change.

Basic proposition about learning
• Survival anxiety must be > learning anxiety.
• Learning method 1: Escalate survival anxiety until it
is greater than learning anxiety.
• Learning method 2: Reduce learning anxiety until it
is less than survival anxiety – create “psychological
safety”.

How to reduce learning anxiety and
create “psychological safety”
• Involve the “change targets” in all the steps of the learning process.
• Provide a vision of a path.
• Provide a safe environment for learning (practice field).
• Provide the time and resources necessary for learning.
• Provide first steps and a direction.
• Work in groups.
• Provide coaching and help.
• Reward small steps in the right direction.
• Work in a supportive climate (norms that support error embracing).
CHANGE MANAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS AIM TO
CREATE PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY

What is Change Management?
• Gaining a mutual understanding of what we think
Change Management is…

Discussion of the key concepts
• Conscious / unconscious
• Primary / secondary process
• Strategic Improvisation
• Dialogue

Module 1
Part 2
The Change Consultant

What is a change consultant?
• What characteristics underpin the role that we have to
perform?
• What function do we perform in organisations?
• What is our strategic relevance in organisations?

The different helping roles:
1. The Expert (Information Power)
2. The Doctor (Diagnostic Power)
3. The Process Consultant (Process Power)

The strategic goals of process consultation
1. Provide help i.e. create a situation where the client will get
help.
2. Create a situation in which information will surface that will
permit both consultant and client to understand better what
may be going on – “diagnostic intervention.”
3. Create a situation in which the client will at all times feel
ownership of the problem. Client and consultant become an
intervention team.

Ten Principles of Process Consultation
1. Always try to be helpful.
Obviously if I have no intention of being helpful and working at it, it
is unlikely to lead to a helping relationship. In general, I have
found in all human relationships that the intention to be helpful is
the best guarantee of a relationship that is rewarding and leads to
mutual learning.

2. Always stay in touch with the current reality.
I cannot be helpful if I cannot decipher what is going on in me, the
situation and in the client.

3. Access your ignorance
The only way I can discover my own inner reality is to learn to
distinguish what I know, from what I assume I know, from what I
truly do not know. It is generally most helpful to work on those
areas where I truly do not know. Accessing is the key, and I must
make an effort to locate within myself what I really do not know by
scanning my own inner database and gaining access to empty
compartments. If I truly do not know the answer, I am more likely
to sound congruent and sincere when I talk about it.

4. Everything you do is an intervention.
Just as every intervention reveals diagnostic information, so does
every interaction have consequences for both the client and for
me. I therefore have to own everything I do and assess the
consequences to be sure that they fit my goals of creating a
helping relationship.

5. The client owns the problem and the solution.
My job is to create a relationship in which the client can get help.
It is not my job to take the client’s problems onto my own
shoulders, nor is it my job to offer advice and solutions in a
situation that I do not live in myself.

6. Go with the flow.
In as much as I do not know the client’s reality, I must respect as
much as possible the natural flow in that reality and not impose my
sense of flow on an unknown situation. Once the relationship
reaches a certain level of trust, and once the client and helper
have a shared set of insights into what is going on, flow becomes
itself a shared process.

7. Timing is crucial.
Over and over I have learned that the introduction of my
perspective, the asking of a clarifying question, the suggestion of
alternatives, or whatever else I want to introduce from my own
point of view has to be timed to those moments when the client’s
attention is available. The same remark uttered at two different
times can have completely different results.

8. Be constructively opportunistic with confrontive
interventions.
When the client signals a moment of openness, a moment when his
or her attention to a new input appears to be available, I find I seize
those moments and try to make the most of them. Those moments
occur when the client has revealed some data signifying readiness
to pay attention to a new point of view.

9. Everything is a source of data; errors are inevitable –
learn from them.
No matter how well I observe the above principles, I will say and do
things that produce unexpected and undesirable reactions in the
client. I must learn from them and at all costs avoid defensiveness,
shame or guilt. I can never know enough of the client’s reality to
avoid errors, but each error produces reactions from which I can
learn a great deal about my own and the client’s reality.

10. When in doubt, share the problem.
Inevitably there will be times in the relationship when I run out of
steam, don’t know what to do next, feel frustrated, and in other
ways get paralyzed. In situations like this, I find that the most
helpful thing I can do is to share my “problem” with the client. Why
should I assume that I always know what to do next? In as much
as it is the client’s problem and reality we are dealing with, it is
entirely appropriate for me to involve the client in my own efforts to
be helpful.

Module 1
Part 3
The Facilitator

The Facilitator Functions
• Preparing
• Determining the group’s focus
• Fostering trust
• Assessing group process & providing feedback
• Keeping communication channels open & exposing
tension
• Managing conflict
• Concluding

The Metaskills of the Facilitator
• Compassion
• Mindfulness
• Neutrality / Following the Process
• Detachment / Dual Awareness
• Playfulness
• Beginners Mind / Humility
• Patience

Facilitation techniques
• Using the flipchart effectively
• Sorting the field
• Noticing silent participants
• Climate report
• Checking in
• Reflective listening

Module 1
Part 4
The Solution Finder

Problem Solving - Edward de Bono’s Six
Thinking Hats
White Hat
Facts, Information
Data
Red Hat
Feelings, Hunches
Intuition
Black Hat
Cautions, Problems
Difficulties
Yellow Hat
Benefits, Values
Positives
Green Hat
Ideas, Alternatives
Possibilities
Blue Hat
Process Control
Thinking about Thinking

Problem Solving - Levels of Thinking
7 Creative Wisdom
6 Joy / Passion
5 Perspective
4 OK with negative stress
3 Negativity / Unhappiness
2 Paralyses
1 Tormented Thinker Extremely negative, Very critical, Disbelief, Anxious,
Neurotic, Life is unbearable, Aggressive, Withdrawn, No
way out, Warped idea of reality
Lethargic, Mind does not get body going, Do things
slowly, Can’t cope with situation/life, Leaves things to
other people, Puts life on hold, Lazy, Procrastinates,
Moves into tormented state
Unhappy, Habit forming, Finds fault, Critical, Negative
conversation, Complaining, Revue minor perspective,Not
action orientated, Problem centered, Lacks trying, Does
not smile, Stereotypes
Stand back, Contemplates, Sees bigger picture
Enjoys life, Enjoys environment, Enjoys people
interaction, Seeks enjoyment, Avoids passion killers
Knowledge, Experience, Know - how, Ultimate
Perspective, Open - minded, Awakens joy in others,
Understand levels of thinking
Rationalises, Blames others, situation, Happens to all of
us, We all go of the rails at times, We are all alike

The concept of Mental Models
“Mental models are deeply held internal images of how
the world works, images that limit us to familiar ways of
thinking and acting.
Very often we are not aware of our mental models or the
effects they have on our behaviour.” (Peter Senge)

The concept of Systems Thinking
Systems thinking is a discipline for seeing problems
holistically and for understanding how systems create
patters and events we see around us.

The Advocacy / Inquiry Matrix
Advocacy
Inquiry
Low High
High
Explaining
Imposing
Mutual Learning
Over Engaging
Observing
Withdrawing
Interviewing
Interrogating

Types of Active / Inquiry Questions
Pure Exploratory Inquiry
Prompt the story and listen carefully and neutrally.
• Use silence and encouraging body language
• Tell me what is going on.
• What is happening?
• Describe the situation.
• Tell me more.
• Go on.
• Can you give me some examples of that?
• Can you give me some of the details of what went on?
• When did this last happen?

Exploratory Diagnostic Inquiry
Start to identify the issues i.e. diagnosing.
Exploring emotional responses:
• How did you feel about that?
• What was your reaction?
• How did others feel and react?
Exploring reasons for actions and events:
• Why do you think you did that?
• Why do you think that happened?
• Why do you think the other person did that?
Exploring actions, past, present and future:
• What did you (others) do about that?
• What are you going to do?

Confrontive Inquiry
Share own ideas and “force” the client to think about the
situation from a new perspective.
• Did you confront him / her about that?
• Could you have done the following…?
• Have you thought about doing…?
• Did it occur to you that he / she did that because they were
anxious?
• Have you considered these other options?
• Have you considered the possibility that you overreacted?
• Did that not make you feel angry / anxious / elated etc?

Module 1
Part 5
Organisational and Business Context
of Change

Deciphering the organisational and
business contexts of change
• World-wide demographics
• Workforce demographics
• Technological advances
• Social trends
• Changes in ownership
• Natural shocks
• Political ramifications
• Competition
• Internal changes

Discussion regarding organisational
and business contexts of change
• What have been some major change initiatives that
you have seen implemented in organisations?
• How successful would you gauge them to have been?
• Have you ever been a change consultant / on an
organisational change team?
• What were the changes you were implementing and
how successful were you?

MODULE 2
GENERIC
CHANGE TOOLS & TACTICS

Module 2
Part 1
Change Management Methodology

In business improvement projects …
In business improvement projects …
Change
Change
Management
Management
is about ……
is about ……

Change Management Methodology Model
R
E
S
U
L
T
S
Improved
State
Transition
State
Current
State
Leading Change
Changing Systems and Structures
Creating a Shared Need
Mobilising Commitment
Making Change Last
Monitoring Progress
Shaping a Vision

Module 2
Part 2
Generic
Change Tools & Tactics

Leading Change
Why bother?
• Strong committed leadership is critical to accelerating change
• Leadership impacts all other change processes
• Leaders must play varied roles
Overview

Leading Change
Tools and tactics include :
• Sponsorship strategy
Tools and Tactics

Leading Change
Sponsorship strategy :
• What is a sponsor?
– A person with the influence or responsibility to ensure that
the change outcomes are delivered.
– A sponsor has responsibility for initiating and sustaining
change.
• The purpose of a sponsorship strategy is to:
– Identify the sponsors
– Establish sponsor responsibilities
– Build commitment of sponsors regarding the change
process.
– Highlight barriers to successful sponsorship.
Tools and Tactics

Leading Change
• Sponsor responsibilities might include the following:
– DEMONSTRATE SUPPORT FOR THE CHANGE through
words, actions and decisions.
– SET A CHALLENGING PACE for the change program.
– BE RESPONSIVE – to employees, customers and peers.
– MEET REGULARLY WITH YOUR PEOPLE in order to show
support, gain understanding and listen.
– RAISE CONCERNS AND ASK QUESTIONS early in the
transition process.
– COMMUNICATE UPDATES on a regular basis.
– IDENTIFY AND RESOLVE POTENTIAL “HOT SPOTS”.
Tools and Tactics

Leading Change
• Sponsor action plan might include the following:
Tools and Tactics
Sponsor Event Duration
Developed
By
Delivered
By
Timing Message
Primary
Objectives
Dept Head
Etc…
Sponsor
Session
1 hour Change
Consultant
Dept Head,
Change
Consultant
To co-incide
with
beginning of
new project
phase
• Project
changes
• Identify hot
spots
• Obtain
commitment

Leading Change
To what extent do our change leaders :
• Create a personal role for themselves in leading the change
process?
• Identify the key priorities and a critical path for the change?
• Create a clear picture of “where we want to get to”.
• Create a culture that will promote the desired behaviours?
• Refine rewards, measures and feedback systems to reinforce
behaviours?
• Mobilise a network of committed change sponsors and agents?
• Coach and counsel key stakeholders throughout the change
process?
• Identify and remove barriers that impede the change process?
Assessment

Leading Change
Change efforts can potentially derail when :
• They fail to establish and clarify the key change roles of
Sponsor.
• Leaders fail to engage in behaviours necessary for change.
• They lack quantifiable measures for establishing Sponsor
accountability.
• There are competing demands for sponsor time and
resources.
• Short term issues take priority over long term focus of “big
picture” goals.
• Sponsors object to change initiatives, Not all sponsor will
100% support the change process.
Pitfalls

Why bother?
• Forces any resistance or apathy to be addressed head-on.
• Validates why the project is important and critical to do.
• Builds momentum needed to get the change initiative launched.
Overview

• The Change implementation process and the change
blueprint
Tools and Tactics

The Process of Change Implementation
Information Gathering
Information Assessment
Information Dissemination
Information Monitoring, Stabilisation and Feedback
CHANGE OBJECTIVES
CHANGE OVERVIEW
CHANGE BLUEPRINT = IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
CHANGE IMPLEMENTATION

Change Objectives
• Requires considerable evaluation of the organisation's
current position.
• What you are hoping to achieve by the change
process: a clear understanding of the change
objectives
• Are the changes compatible with the organisation’s
current systems and processes?
CHANGE OBJECTIVES
CHANGE OVERVIEW

Information gathering
Industry
Benchmarkin
g
Information
Sources
Market
Knowledge
Internal
information
gathering
Media
Personal
Experience
Previous
change
attempts
Info teams
Key Areas:
 Cultural fit
 Strategic fit
 Synergy Potential
 Management fit and
style
 Corporate
demographics
 Structural fit
Y
CHANGE OBJECTIVES
CHANGE OVERVIEW
GATHER
ASSESS
TELL

Change Overview
• Takes generic change objectives and applies them to
the situation
• Clarifies how the change objectives are going to be
met
• Serves as a practical reminder of what the
organisation is attempting to achieve
• Acts as a bridge between the objectives and the
operational blueprint.
CHANGE OBJECTIVES
CHANGE OVERVIEW

Employee Input
 Affected employees know more about their company/function
 Opportunity to motivate
 Most successful if well done
 Employees must live with decisions
 Prolongs uncertainty
 Longer and slower process
 Affected parties may not trust the change agent
 Carnage if done poorly
Immediate Approach
 Less uncertainty
 Quicker process
 Greater clarity and certainty of
action
 May make wrong decisions
 No affected employee
participation
 Requires detailed, thorough
planning
Delayed Approach
 Greater knowledge of the changes
necessary
 Opportunity to motivate and involv
affected employees
 Prolongs uncertainty
 Longer and slower process
 Longer for results to show
Key Operational Decisions
Addressing
cultural
issues
Assessing
the change
situation
Resource
Decisions
Employee
participation
Speed of
imple-
mentation
Y
CHANGE OBJECTIVES
CHANGE OVERVIEW
GATHER
ASSESS
TELL
“One off” financial costs e.g.
 Implementation costs
 Redundancy expenses
 System harmonisation
 Capital expenditure
Continual financial costs
Human resources costs
Manifest in differences in:
 Work legislation
 Attitudes/ behaviours
 Working practices
 Management style
 Company procedures
Imposed decisions
 Less uncertainty
 Decision makers are a known quantity
 No arguments or politics
 May make wrong decisions
 Can seriously demotivate
 Requires detailed, thorough planning

Change Blue Print
• Reduces overview into task specific actions
• Serves as the basis for the post-change
implementation plan by determining:
– What – action to be taken
– When – the timescale for change
– Who – is to be affected and who is to be responsible for
leading the changes
– How – the actual blueprint
– Why – the logic behind the actions taken
CHANGE OBJECTIVES
CHANGE OVERVIEW

Communications Strategy
Y
CHANGE OBJECTIVES
CHANGE OVERVIEW
GATHER
ASSESS
TELL
Strategy
Content
(style, coverage, source)

Implementation plan and
techniques
• Implementation is reliant on:
– Prior employee knowledge of change
– Employees being comfortable with their role in the change via
communication
– The enactment of the change process
– The alignment in systems and processes of the ultimate changes
• Techniques include:
– Change co-ordinator or manager
– Change team
– Steering committee
– Information gathering teams
– Working committees
– External specialists / facilitators
CHANGE OBJECTIVES
CHANGE OVERVIEW

1. Are all members of the project team aligned in terms of the
need to change?
2. Have we framed the need for change in such a way to
reflect the concerns of customers and key suppliers?
3. Would each team member deliver essentially the same
“message” regarding the need for change if asked by
someone outside of the team?
4. Who are the key constituencies affected by this initiative,
and how much importance does each give to the initiative?
5. How can we help others increase their sense of the need
for change?
Assessment

Change efforts can potentially derail when they :
• Fail to check for alignment and build true consensus.
• Assume the need for change in obvious.
• Fail to frame the need for change in a meaningful way
• Assume that when others fail to appreciate the need for
change, its “their” problem.
• Fail to search beneath the surface for root causes.
• Underestimate the resistance to change.
Pitfalls

Shaping a Vision
Why bother?
• Visions paint a picture that appeals to both the “head” and the
“heart” and answer the question “Why change?”
• Visions help create shared meaning and thereby help gain
genuine commitment from all.
Overview

Shaping a Vision
• Facilitating a visioning session
Tools and Tactics

Shaping a Vision
Facilitating a visioning session :
• Prior to session – interview key stakeholders.
– What is working?
– What is not working?
– Look at what our competitors are doing and ask ourselves,
“What can be learned from this?”
Tools and Tactics

Shaping a Vision
• Facilitating the session (2 days).
– Start with the end – brainstorm loosely what the future state
looks like in as much detail as possible – blue sky thinking.
– Use visualisation techniques to envision daily life scenarios
once change is achieved.
– Design a dream using the language of:
o What we do
o What we sell
o Who we are
– Discuss feedback from key stakeholder interviews.
Tools and Tactics

Shaping a Vision
• Facilitating the session (2 days).
– Engage in rigorous self examination. Look at the relevance /
effectiveness / efficiency of:
o Our purpose
o Our people
o Our processes
– Develop a mission i.e. saying in a given time frame, what do
we want to be?
– Identify and explore values and philosophies which will
change the way people think and feel and which will guide
our interactions through the change process.
– Identify first steps – processes, forums etc. to instigate the
change process.
Tools and Tactics

Shaping a Vision
To what extent :
• has a vision be clearly articulated for the project?
• is the vision simple and straightforward?
• is the vision motivating and energising?
• is the vision shared and understood across the business?
• is the vision actionable?
and finally,
• How aligned is the team around the vision?
Assessment

Shaping a Vision
Change efforts can potentially derail when :
• Everyone has their own vision, and no effort is made to gain
alignment.
• Vision statements remain at such a “lofty” level that one one pushes
back.
• The vision changes too often, or conversely, is so rigid that others
feel excluded.
• The vision fails to reflect the interests and needs of customers
&/suppliers.
• The vision is too complex to be easily understood or translated into
day-to-day behaviours.
Pitfalls

Why bother?
• Helps deliver a culture of individual accountability and daily
problem solving.
• Helps create an organisation that is fundamentally more
flexible and able to implement change programs quickly and
efficiently.
• Helps speed up the pace of change and ensures that
performance is maximised during the transition state.
Overview

• Stakeholder analysis
• Change readiness
• Communication strategy
Tools and Tactics

Stakeholder analysis :
• A stakeholder is anyone who is impacted by or who impacts
the change.
• Can be an individual or a group of individuals with similar
stakes in the change.
Tools and Tactics

• Stakeholder analysis is a starting point for understanding the
change readiness of key stakeholder groups.
• By understanding the requirements, and readiness gaps of
key stakeholder groups, we are better equipped to plan and
implement appropriate change interventions.
Tools and Tactics

• Stakeholder analyses are best conducted by way of a 2 hour
brainstorming session.
• Steps to be followed include:
– Explain your role.
– Explain the purpose of the session.
– Explain outcomes i.e. next steps for assessing appropriate
change interventions.
– Ask: What is the end-to-end nature of the change? This
helps to identify who is impacted by it.
– Complete stakeholder analysis tool. Draw the table on a
whiteboard. Work your way across the table as directed.
Tools and Tactics

• Stakeholder analysis template
Tools and Tactics
Stakeholder Group Nature of Stakeholding Rate Rank
Stakeholder Group 1
• What is the complete list of
stakeholders that impact or are
impacted by the change?
• Does the stakeholder group
need to be broken down into
subgroups at this point?
- Do they have different
stakes in the change?
- Is there a likelihood that
they will be at varying
degrees of readiness?
• What is their relationship to the
change?
- Are they a customer / supplier?
- Are they a part of the process?
- Are they affected by the
outcomes only?
- What would be their concerns
and what would the impact of
their concerns have on others?
- What type of involvement would
they require?
Wins
Losses
Neutral
How important is
the stakeholder
group to the
delivery of the
change?
• Critical
• Important
• Marginal
How would you
prioritise
stakeholder
groups relative
to one another?
1 = most critical

Change readiness :
• Change readiness is the capacity of key stakeholders to
support change in a manner that ensures that change is
sustainable.
• Sustainability is achieved by facilitating the uptake along
three key dimensions:
– Stages of concern, based on their degree of understanding
of the change.
– Preparedness to support i.e. willingness to change.
– Ability to support, based on the development of the skills and
knowledge required.
Tools and Tactics

Change readiness :
• The change readiness tool examines change readiness for
key stakeholder groups and…
• Identifies what change interventions will be necessary to
successfully guide the change.
Tools and Tactics

Change readiness – stages of concern :
Tools and Tactics
Stages of Concern Focus of Concern Expression of Concern
Awareness Stage (0)
Information Stage (1)
Personal Stage (2)
Management Stage (3)
Impact / Consequence Stage (4)
Collaboration Stage (5)
Refocusing Stage (6)
Little concern or involvement.
General awareness & an interest in learning more about
it.
Uncertainty about demands of change.
Uncertainty about decision making, potential conflicts.
Issues relating to efficiency, organisation, scheduling,
time etc.
Focus is on impact of change for individuals in
immediate sphere of contact.
Focus is on coordination and cooperation with others.
Focus is one of exploration of more universal benefits.
“I’m not concerned about it.”
“I would like to know more about
it.”
“How will using it affect me?
“I seem to be spending all my
time in paperwork.”
“How is it affecting my team?”
“I am concerned about relating
what I am doing with others.”
“I have some ideas about
something that will work even
better.”

• Awareness Stage. Tactics are mainly around…
– Informing.
• Information Stage. Tactics are mainly around…
– Further information and motivating.
• Personal Stage. Tactics are mainly around…
– Allaying personal concerns and providing a level of support.
• Management Stage. Tactics are mainly around…
– Coaching, training and development.
• Impact / Consequence Stage. Tactics are mainly around…
– Involving people in shaping the change.
• Collaboration Stage. Tactics are mainly around…
– Creating opportunities to use them to influence others.
• Refocusing Stage. Tactics are mainly around…
– Creating opportunities for them to innovate.
Tools and Tactics

• Determining stage of concern is best conducted by way of a 2
hour small group session.
• Steps to follow include:
– Familiarise yourself with the Stages of Concern.
– Spend time in open discussion about what their concerns
are.
– Sythesise concerns on a flipchart, looking for themes.
– Refer to Stages of Concern and, together with participants,
plot their stage of concern.
– Jointly discuss tactics to help overcome their concerns, using
the interventions previously discussed as guidelines for
suggestions.
Tools and Tactics

Change readiness – preparedness to support :
• Gauging support is best conducted by way of a half day facilitated
small group session.
• Steps to follow include:
– Explain the purpose of the session.
– Get people to talk about the current change. Facilitate discussion
on:
o What are the critical / core changes?
o What do you feel you are losing in the process?
o How do you feel about it?
– Facilitate discussion about object vs state loss – What can you
control?
– Facilitate discussion on, “What do you need?”:
o All boils down to support – “Where can you get support from?”
o List of actions / commitments.
– Put all unresolved issues into further process.
Tools and Tactics

Change readiness – ability to support :
• Refer to elements of a training & support strategy in section
on IT Change.
Tools and Tactics

Change readiness :
• Change readiness plan template
Tools and Tactics
Stakeholder
Group
Ability
Tracking
Outcomes
As detailed in
Stakeholder
Analysis
• Identify the
appropriate
individuals to the
tactic.
• Individuals can be
selected because of
functional expertise,
organisational
influence, relationship
to stakeholder etc.
Stage of
Concern
Preparedness
to Support
Change Tactic Resp
• Not initiated
• Initiated and
working
• Initiated and not
working

Communication :
• The purpose of a communication strategy is to:
– Define the objectives of the communication effort.
– Develop guiding principles for communication.
– Provide a framework for developing and implementing the
communications.
– Troubleshoot possible barriers to communication and
determine the appropriate solutions.
Tools and Tactics

Communication :
Elements of a communication strategy could include:
Communication objectives
• e.g. Enroll people in the change through involvement at all levels in
the organisation.
Critical success factors
• e.g. Availability of resources to produce communications materials.
• e.g. Maximising the use of respected and influential people to deliver
messages.
• e.g. Maximising the use of face-to-face communication.
Tools and Tactics

Communication :
Elements of a communication strategy (cont.):
Guiding principles for effective communication
• e.g. Employees should hear information from the appropriate
source.
• e.g. Communication should be two-way and face-to-face to the
extent possible.
Key messages
• Key messages are the themes that will underpin all communication.
Tools and Tactics

Change readiness :
Elements of a communications strategy (cont.):
Communications plan
Tools and Tactics
Target Audience Sender
Name of
stakeholder group.
Communication Activity Message Timing
Description of:
• Meeting
• Presentation
• Roadshow
• Workshop
• Teleconference
• Briefing
• Demo
Description of: key
points to be
highlighted:
• Issues & concerns
• Project timeframes
• Vision & direction
• Feedback
• Q & A
• Project status
• Job changes
• Etc.
Specific person / role
required to deliver the
message.
Date for
communication
activity to
commence.

Communication :
Feedback mechanisms
• Feedback mechanisms are important for ensuring that
communication objectives are being met and messages are
conveyed in the most effective way possible.
• They provide a facility for target audience groups to communicate
their concerns, thereby ensuring a two-way communication.
• Examples include:
– Departmental representative
– Open dialogue forums
– Survey / questionnaire
– Communications log (This would be a mechanism to track any
communications issues that are being identified.)
Tools and Tactics

Communication :
Barriers to effective communication
• Examples include:
– Desire to keep information secret.
– Diversity of different audiences requiring different types of
information.
– Lack of clear and consistent information due to the perception of the
“evolving” nature of the project.
– Conflicting information from different sources.
Tools and Tactics

How well have you :
• Understood the needs and concerns of the people impacting
or impacted by the change?
• Analysed sources of resistance?
• Developed problem solving process to resolve resistance?
• Developed tactics to help prepare the stakeholders for and
support them through the change?
Assessment

Change efforts can derail when :
• Too little information is shared with key stakeholders.
• Too much information is shared with key stakeholders.
• They assume technical solution is sufficient.
• They don’t involve others due to time constraints.
• They underestimate human resistance to change.
Pitfalls

Making Change Last
Why bother?
• Experience shows that successful, sustained change is difficult to
achieve without attention from the entire team
• Every change initiative will compete for time, resources and
attention.
• We often spend most available time on the launch of an initiative
rather than its institutionalisation.
Overview

Making Change Last
• Forcefield analysis
• Systems and Structures worksheet
Tools and Tactics

Making Change Last
Forcefield analysis :
Tools and Tactics
ENABLERS RESTRAINERS

Making Change Last
Systems and Structures worksheet :
Tools and Tactics
Measurement
Reward
Staffing
Development
Organisational
Design
Identify specific opportunities to use or modify various systems and
structures to make change last

Making Change Last
To what extent have we accurately estimated :
• The magnitude of the total change effort?
• The level of resistance this initiative will face?
• The amount of time required to implement the change?
• The level of clarity and alignment regarding the kind of
implementation process required?
And also…
• How has the change effort been integrated into other business
initiatives?
• To what extent are needed resources made available?
• To what extent have we altered (or used) existing systems and
structures as “levers for change”?
Assessment

Making Change Last
Change efforts can potentially derail because of
ten classic implementation pitfalls :
• Underestimating the time.
• Unexpected problems.
• Poorly co-ordinated activities.
• Competing distractions.
• Inadequate capabilities / skills of employees.
• Lack of support for the initiative.
• Unclear goals and objectives.
• Lack of involvement of Change Targets.
• Dismissing complaints outright.
• Uncontrollable externalities (life happens).
Pitfalls

Monitoring Progress
Why bother?
• An accurate measure of the project provides focus, direction and
momentum
• Corrective action can only occur if you know you are off track
• Monitoring Progress enhances you ability to reward key events and
milestones, building momentum and commitment.
Overview

Monitoring Progress
• Characteristics of a good measurement system
• Robot system
• Status report
Tools and Tactics

Monitoring Progress
Characteristics of a good measurement system:
1. Completeness: The extent to which a measure adequately measures the
phenomenon rather than only some aspect of the phenomenon.
2. Timeliness: The extent to which a measurement can be taken soon after the need to
measure, rather than being held to an arbitrary date.
3. Visibility: The extent to which a measure can be openly tracked by those being
measured.
4. Controllability: The extent to which a measure can be directly influenced by those
being measured.
5. Cost: Whether the measure is inexpensive, making use of the data easily obtained
or already being collected for some other purposes.
6. Interpretability:The degree to which a measure is easy to understand and produces
data that is readily comparable to other organisations and/or time periods.
7. Importance: Whether the measure is connected to important business objectives
rather than being measured because it is easy to measure.
Tools and Tactics

Monitoring Progress
Using the ROBOT system to measure:
Tools and Tactics
The robot system is a good, colourful, eye-catching technique that makes you
focus on your problem areas and decide on where you have encountered
implementation pitfalls and instigate corrective strategies.
RED – Change not implemented at all / little progress on
this objective.
YELLOW – Change has been partially implemented / some
resistance occurring / installation not complete or signed
off.
GREEN – Sound progress has been made on change objective
and / or has been signed off as complete.
One of the easy techniques to use for the tracking of change progress is to use
the robot system – or even the colours of the robot.

Monitoring Progress
Status report :
• Status reports track progress in:
– Completing deliverables
– Achieving specifications – functional, technical, operational
Tools and Tactics

Monitoring Progress
Status report – effort and time:
• The GANNT chart is a well-known Project Management tool for monitoring progress
against objectives. If used to its fullest potential, is regularly updated and visibly
displayed, it can show true progress against implementation objectives.
Tools and Tactics

Monitoring Progress
Status report - risk:
Tools and Tactics
Category Area of Impact
Description of Risk Level of Impact
Alternative
Responses
0 = negligible
impact
5 = very high
impact
Who does it
impact?
Description of
the different
alternatives to
be taken to
mitigate the
risk.
Response
Taken
Description of
the alternative
chosen.
Comments

Monitoring Progress
Status report - issues:
Tools and Tactics
Issue
No.
Resolution
#
Issue Description
Action to be
Taken
Responsibility
Description of the
issue.
Description of
identified action to
be taken.
Description of
when and how
issue was finally
resolved.
Name of
individual
responsible for
resolution of
issue.
Date
Resolved
Name of
individual
responsible for
resolution of
issue.
Status
In process
Complete

Monitoring Progress
1. Have we stated our objectives in concrete terms?
2. Have we translated these objectives to observable behaviours?
3. Have we set milestones that all understand and agree to?
4. Are expected results tied to external and internal goals and
have we ensured that outcomes will be evident to
stakeholders?
5. Are individuals and teams accountable for results?
6. Do we know which existing data will pick up progress toward
our goal?
7. Have we established new ways to gather data?
8. Do we have accurate and timely baseline data to work from?
Assessment

Monitoring Progress
Change efforts can potentially derail when they :
• Want results too soon and fail to look for long-term indicators of
progress.
• Assume all stakeholders know how things are going and fail to
keep them informed.
• Measure only against internal issues or goals, forgetting that
customers are often impacted by the change initiative.
• Don’t see how the change project is connected to other initiatives
and fail to measure impact.
• Think some things are too “soft” to measure, only looking at “hard”
indicators of progress.
• Simply get too busy to track progress.
Pitfalls

Why bother?
• When the way we organise, train, develop, reward, compensate,
promote etc is changed, we are likely to see individual behaviour
change
• Successful changes usually involve significant re-alignment of
“organisational infrastructure”.
• Need to develop the capacity to change, not just the ability to
change – “Can we build this change into our ongoing systems?”
Overview

Changing Systems & Structures involves modifying:
1. STAFFING
2. DEVELOPMENT
3. MEASURES
4. REWARDS
5. COMMUNICATION
6. DESIGNING
ORGANISATIONS
Six Aspects
(How we acquire / place talent)
(How we build competence / capability)
(How we track performance)
(How we recognise / reward desired behaviour)
(How we use information to build and sustain
momentum)
(How we organise to support the change
initiative?

EXTRA DATA
Change Implementation Process
Model

Twelve “Golden Rules” of implementation
 Manage employee and customer expectations
 Project manage and measure the process
 Be seen to add value
 Build on some “quick wins”
 Use the line managers
 Be realistic about what you can achieve personally and corporately
 Manage conflict
 Repeat key messages and communicate even when you think you have
nothing to say
 Expect strange behaviour and be ready for it
 Realise everything you say and do will be scrutinised and exaggerated
 Remain visible and “out of the bunker”
 Keep your eye on the ball and don’t forget about your customers

The impact of change (its called resistance)
UNCERTAINTY
IMMOBILITY TO MEET/TRY OUT
CHALLENGES BEYOND PERSONAL
COMFORT ZONES
UPWARD
ABDICATION
(Wait for direction,
Claim lack of
direction)
FEAR FAILURE
FEAR
CONSEQUENCES
OF NON-DELIVERY
FRUSTRATION
(By seniors)
LACK OF
CONFIDENCE
(Portrayed overtly
and subtly)

Readiness for change
Readiness = D (Dissatisfaction) x V (Vision) x F (First steps) > R (Resistance)
D
V
F
Is there enough dissatisfaction with the current state?
What is the gap between the current reality and the envisioned future?
Is there a sense of compelling vision of a highly desirable future state?
To what degree is it shared?
To what degree are individuals committed to the vision?
Are the first steps for making the change 'doable'?

The Change Curve
“I’m being told something
I don’t like”
AWARENESS
DENIAL
“NO WAY!”
FEAR
“What will happen
to me?”
EXPLORATION
“”Let me take a look
anyway”
UNDERSTANDING
“I can see why they want to
do this”
POSITIVE PERCEPTION
“This is good”
LEARNING
“Let me test it”
ADOPTION
“We have to do it this way”
INTERNALISATION
“This is the way we work here”

Responses
Awareness Full communication and explanation
Reassurance (where possible)
Denial Full communication and explanation
Understanding of the consequences of
non-conformance
“Word picture” of the process of the
change
Fear Reassurance where possible
Understanding of all possible outcomes
for the individual
Exploration Full training in the new behaviours
and/or systems
Full understanding of the benefits
Understanding Full training in the new behaviour
and/or systems
Full understanding of the benefits

Responses
Positive Perception Reinforcement of the positive perception
Learning Full training in the new behaviour and/or
systems
Reinforcement of benefits
Adoption Reinforcement of benefits
Recognition of efforts
Use as champion to those further down
the change curve
Internalisation Recognition of efforts
Awareness of the change process the
individual has gone through

Effects of change
 In most organisations, it requires a change in management
perspective and skill base as well as a new alignment of
systems and processes
 If handled well, change can increase organisational
flexibility and responsiveness
 If handled poorly, the organisation can experience:
– Lower management credibility
– Higher employee turnover
– Lower employee productivity
– Lower employee satisfaction and trust
 MOST CHANGE PROGRAMMES FAIL

According to Hammer and Co:
 Only 20-30% of all reengineering projects succeed
 Only 23% of all mergers and acquisitions make back their costs
 Just 43% of quality-improvement efforts make satisfactory progress
 Only 9% of all major software development applications in large
organisations are worth the cost
 31% of software implementation projects get cancelled before
completion
 Irrespective of success or failure, 53% of software implementations
will result in cost overruns by up to 189%!
The Reason: According to Fortune 500 executives resistance/people
not accepting changes was the primary reason changes failed
Source: Maurer and Co.

A model for organisational change
(Kurt Lewin)
Unfreezing
Change & movement
Re-freezing

UNFREEZING
Creating motivation and readiness to change
Techniques to reinforce unfreezing . . .
• Acknowledge feelings and empathise
• Give people as much information about the change as
possible
• Say what will not change
• Treat the past with respect
• Help others to see the gap

CHANGE & MOVEMENT
Guiding through the transition
Techniques to reinforce movement . . .
• Provide focus and direction
• Strengthen peoples' connections to one another
• Open up two way communications
• Provide the individual with a specific role in the
change process
• Provide leadership and tenacity

RE-FREEZING
Integrating the new point of view
Techniques to reinforce re-freezing:
• (before reverting to the old point of view)
• Ensure that individuals and leaders are
reinforced for new behaviour
• Implement quick results and highlight successes
• Build feedback mechanisms
• Celebrate!

Why Do People Resist Change?
• The phrase, “overcoming resistance,” indicates an adversarial
relationship … since resistance is an emotional process, the key is
understanding it:
– People resist change because the change is:
• Perceived by them to be negative, and
• They do not want to deal with the reasons for it
– Resistance is a way of expressing feelings of concern about making a change
– These concerns tend to be:
• Concerns over loss of control
• Concerns over vulnerability
– Your task is to help the person who is resisting change to express these concerns directly
Resistance is nature’s way of telling you something important is going on and that
you are on target

Why Resistance Occurs . . .
• Resistance can occur because
people fear:
– Loss of credibility or reputation
– Lack of career or financial advancement
– Possible damage to relationships with boss
– Loss of employment
– Interpersonal rejection
– Change in job role
– Embarrassment/loss of self-esteem
– Job transfer or demotion
Real/
Underlying
Concerns
Indirect Expressions
of Concerns/
Visible Resistance
Your task is to encourage the full expression of the real/underlying concerns.

Three Steps to Dealing with Resistance
• Step 1: Identify the form the resistance is taking:
– Trust what you see more than what you hear
– Pick up cues
– Listen to yourself — use your own feelings as a barometer
• Uneasy, bored, irritated
– Listen for repetition/telltale phrases
– Make two good-faith responses
• Step 2: Acknowledge, name the resistance:
– Tell person your perception of the resistance
– Do it in a “win/win” manner; neutral, non-aggressive - “What I think I hear you saying is . . .”
– Tell the person how the resistance is making you feel
– Be specific, clear, authentic
• Step 3: Be quiet, listen, let the person respond:
– Get him/her talking
– Encourage full expression of the concerns
– Gradually uncover underlying resistance/issue - be aware of other forms of resistance
surfacing

• Fight the resistance
• Go into more data collection
• Reengineer in the attempt to
get a better intervention
• Avoid the individual
• Work more with your “allies”
• Give lots of reasons
• Get hooked into the details
Dealing With Resistance: What Not To Do
• Expect approval, encouragement,
support and/or affection
• Lose your confidence
• Expect to have all the answers
• Collude with the individual
• Avoid giving “bad news”
• Use aggressive language
– “You Dummy” Rule
• Delay/wait one more day

• Provide appropriate training in new skills
and coaching in new values and
behaviors
• Encourage self-management
• Give more feedback than usual to ensure
people always know where they stand
• Allow for resistance. Help people let go
of the “old”
• Measure results, step back and take a
look at what is going on. Keep asking “Is
the change working the way we want it
to?”
• Encourage people to think and act
creatively
• Look for any “opportunity” created by the
change
• Allow for withdrawal and return of people
who are temporarily resistant
Tactics to Minimise Resistance
• Explain why
• Identify the benefits
• Invite and answer questions
• Solicit participation, and, if possible,
early involvement
• (“first-draft/strawmodel” reviews,
membership in
planning/implementation teams,
etc.)
• Avoid surprises
• Set standards and clear targets
• Inform/involve informal leaders
• Recognize and reward efforts
• Over communicate

Summary: Dealing With Resistance
• Resistance is inherent to change
• To deal with resistance, you should be able to:
– Identify when resistance is taking place
– View resistance as a natural process and a sign that you are on target
– Support the client in expressing the resistance directly
– Not take the expression of the resistance personally or as an attack on you or your competence
• Some common forms of resistance are:
– Attack – Moralizing
– “Give me more detail” – Avoiding responsibility
– They flood you with detail – Compliance
– No time – Pressing for solutions
– It’s impractical – “We’re unique”
– “I’m not surprised” – Methodology
– Confusion – Nit-picking
– Silence – Flight into health
– Intellectualizing – Changing the subject
– One word answers – Low energy, inattention

Change Management In Organisations

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Change Management In Organisations