1) The document discusses an approach to managing change by engaging teams and making them feel like active participants rather than passive recipients of change. 2) It recommends treating change like a tour where you gain buy-in by explaining the journey, addressing questions and concerns, and celebrating successes together along the way. 3) The key is effective communication, giving teams a voice, and supporting all members so the "bus" reaches its destination with everyone still onboard.

1. Thank you for the opportunity to present you with my approach to “Driving
Change in Your Team or Organisation.”
Or as I call it: How to make sure the wheels of the bus go round and round?

2. From the beginning, let me make my stance on change clear.
• Change is good!
• Change is exciting!
• Change is progress!
• People like change!
What people do not like is BEING changed.

3. What happens when change is forced onto a group of people, large or small,
the team or the organisation?
Just think about your own experiences for a moment: if you are told that you
have to do something, anything, differently, without any explanation, what
would your immediate reaction be?
I would suggest, that like most people, the immediate reaction is to get
defensive, barricading yourself and resisting. “I’m not doing that!” This often
leads to conflict, which generally indicates the beginning of the end for the
change program at the very worst, or at the very least cause it to be delayed.
This type reaction can be seen throughout the whole organisation, from
bottom to top, all the way up to senior management. This reaction commen
and predictable, it can be seen in the “Denial and Anger” stages of the Kubler
Ross curve.
Change Kubler Ross
Loss Denial
Doubt Anger
Discomfort Bargaining

4. Discovery Depression
Understanding Testing
Integration Acceptance
How then do I “drive” change through? First of all, I would say that I do not
think that change can be “DRIVEN”. “Drive” sounds despotic and
confrontational which leads to failure in my experience.
So what do I do? I engage with the team.
I talk to them, consult with them, explain why things need to change and
explain why a particular solution has been adopted. I give them a chance to
absorb information. Allow them to ask questions, raise objections, request
clarification, and make suggestions etc. to help them through the remaining
stages of the Kubler Ross curve. In other words I build rapport and trust.

5. Personally I treat change as a tour, and take the team with me. I become the
tour guide: share my knowledge and enthusiasm about the process and
milestones, the sights and sounds if you like, and do my utmost to ensure that
the journey is as smooth as possible with as little stress as possible.
Let’s apply this concept to a learning and development scenario.
The company wishes to introduce a new Learning Management System.
First, it is important to let everyone know what’s going on; send the team the
sales brochure, briefly outlining the proposed change, the benefits to the
company and the benefits to them as individuals. It has to be intriguing, to
peak their interest so they want to know more, and so they want to jump on
the bus.
Secondly: Invite the team and crew (that includes other stakeholders,
sponsors and managers) to a meeting, call it a Launch or pre-tour meeting;
use the sales brochure as a base and explain the proposed change in more
detail, but of course, this time encourage feedback and discussion: give space
to explore the WIIFM, the “What’s in it for me?” factor.
It is of course quite possible that the company may have pre- already selected
the new LMS, but if this meeting is held ealy enough in the process, there
may be some worthwhile suggestions from the team. The key factor here is

6. communication, making the team feel part of the process, not the victims of it.
Then define the journey: The departure point for my imaginary tour is the
current state, where we are today: a system that people are familiar with, but
are not happy with. The destination which is reached in say 6 months time is
the desired state: a modern system with an intuitive interface, content
management capability and self service functionality with access for
administration staff, learners, tutors/facilitators and managers.
As with any good tour, give the team a guide map. The map should show all
of the stops, the points of interest and the timetable of events. This equates to
each milestone of the change, what needs to be done i.e. training, hardware
updates, software installations or update meetings and the deadline each
needs to be completed by. Make sure the team has a clear understanding of
where they are going and what they will see and do when they get there.
Make a point to speak to individuals all through the journey, asking if the tour
is what they expected and whether they are staying on board the bus. Keep
the team engaged with the process, the tour if you like. Be prepared to
resolve any queries or issues.
Whenever there is a stop, make sure the team gets together to discuss the
highlights of that section of the journey. Was it as expected, do they feel good
about things, what went well and what could have gone better? Get all
members to complete evaluation questionnaires at each stop with space for
their own comments, not just a tick box exercise. Review the comments and
modify the change process as required.
Make sure that there is support in place for any member who gets left behind,
The bus can’t get to the end of the journey successfully unless everyone is
still onboard. This could be in the form of coaching or supplemental learning
opportunities.
At the end of the journey, gather all team members to celebrate a successful,
enjoyable tour. Highlight any outstanding personal contributions, reflect on
how far we have come and be sure to thank everyone for their contribution.
It is not just about the destination, it’s also very much about the journey; the
shared ownership; the trust.
Remember the whole object of Change Management is to “Make sure the
wheels of the bus go round and round” so that the tour can reach its
destination on time and with everyone still on board.

7. So in conclusion;
My personal approach to “driving” change is to be inclusive, to involve and
engage with the team, respecting their diversity and equality, to build trust on
both sides, so that everybody benefits.
I believe this to be the most productive model to effect, Drive, real sustainable
change.