Leading Change: Why most change methods fail and what to do instead

Leading Change
esther@estherderby.com

www.estherderby.com

+1 612 239 1214

@estherderby

3 types of change:

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designing environments for agile success

+1 612.239.1214 esther@estherderby.com www.estherderby.com twitter: @estherderby (c) 2014 esther derby

Simple and Linear

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Change is a matter of moving from one point to another.

Both points are knowable and known.
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Dynamic, but Predictable

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Both points are knowable and known.

If you know enough about point A, you can apply the correct force to move to point B.

Put the change in motion, and it will follow a predictable path.
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Complex and Unfolding

The end point isn’t clear from where you stand now…and isn’t /the end/.

Many paths are possible.

Some paths only appear after earlier changes take hold.
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Most changes in
organizations are
Complex.
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…but prescriptive change
processes treat them as if
they are Simple or Dynamic.

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Performance

Prescriptive processes ignore
emotional and performance effects.

New !
Status Quo

Current !
Status Quo
Practice and!
Integration
Chaos

Time

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Change aways
involves!
!

Identity!
Status!
Afﬁliation!

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Support Change:
Connect
Honor

Assess
Network
Guide
Evaluate
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Connect

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Connect with yourself

• How do you feel about the change?

• How do you feel about the people you’ll be
working with?

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Connect with the other people involved in
the change.

• Do they want this change?

• What will they gain?

• What will they lose?

• What are 5 valid reasons people might not
want this change?

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Connect with the context of the change.

• What is the reason for the change?

• What is the desired outcome?

• What are three other ways to achieve that
outcome?

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Honor

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Honor...

• What is valuable about the past.

• What is valuable about the current state.

• What is working well.

• What you want to retain.
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Assess

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Assess...

• What you can build on.

• Who is interested in working with you.

• What is possible from where you stand
now.

• What constraints and differences might
catalyze change?

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Network

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• Analyze existing networks, and choose
based on credibility and trust.

• Build new cross-organizational networks
to stimulate new connections, amplify
difference, diffuse ideas.

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Guide

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Guide and support change and people

• Understand what needs to be managed

closely, and what needs to be managed
loosely.

• Catalyze.

• Track and fan.

• Offer support.
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Evaluate

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Evaluate

• What have you learned?

• What needs adjustment?

• Are you saving what you wanted to save?

• Are you seeing the results you wanted to see?

• What do you need to change about the way
you are changing?

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In his article, Slow Ideas, Atul Gawande tells the
story of how new methods for maternal & infant
care took hold in a busy hospital.  
 

At the end of his article, Dr. Gawande interviews
one of the nurses, asking her about why she
listened to the younger, less experienced nurse
sent to teach the new methods.

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“Why did you listen to her?” I asked. “She had only a
fraction of your experience.”
!

In the beginning, she didn’t, the nurse admitted.
!

“The first day she came, I felt the workload on my
head was increasing.” From the second time, however,
the nurse began feeling better about the visits. She
even began looking forward to them.
!

“Why?” I asked.
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From Slow Ideas by Atul Gawande


“She was nice.”

!

“She smiled a lot.”

!

“It wasn’t like talking to someone who was trying
to ﬁnd mistakes,” she said.

!

“It was like talking to a friend.”

!
!
!

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From Slow Ideas by Atul Gawande


People don’t resist change.
They resist coercion.

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Connect
Honor

Assess
Network
Guide
Evaluate

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…and things will change.

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!
!
Satir Change Model!
!
Change Artistry. Derby, Gray, Rothman & Weinberg!
!
Slow Ideas. Atul Gawande!
!
Facilitating Organizational Change. Ed Olsen & Glenda Eoyang

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Esther Derby

!

esther@estherderby.com

!

+1 612.239.1214

!

www.estherderby.com

!

@estherderby

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