This document discusses organizational change and how to successfully implement change in today's workplace. It begins by defining organizational change and providing a change reflection quiz. It then discusses common reasons why change efforts fail, such as lack of vision, communication, resources, and commitment. The document provides best practices for leading organizational change, including developing a compelling vision, building leadership commitment, managing resistance to change, frequent communication, and showing early results. It emphasizes that change is a journey, not a blueprint, and that successful change leaders understand the dynamics of the organization and change process.

1. Organizational Change: How to Make
it Happen in Today’s Workplace
50th MBA Anniversary Weekend
June 2, 2017
Prof. Ronald R. Sims
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2. 2
"One cannot become a butterfly by
remaining a caterpillar."

3. Change defined:
• “to make the form, nature, content, future
course, etc., of (something) different from
what it is or from what it would be if left
alone.”
• “to transform or convert (usually followed
by into): The witch changed the prince into
a toad.” - Dictionary.com
3

4. Change Reflection Quiz (True – False)
1. My organization has gone through a
major change in the past two years.
2. My organization will go through a major
change in the next three to five years.
3. I know I am an effective leader / change
agent.
4. Others would say I am an effective leader
/ change agent.
4

5. How can you guarantee thee
failure of a change effort
How to
guarantee
the failure of a
change effort
Make a list of
the things that
can be done to
GUARANTEE
the FAILURE
of a change
effort
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6. Why change efforts fail?
1.Lack of vision/strategy
2.Lack of change success criteria / measures
3.Lack of effective communication
4.Lack of resources
5.Arrogance
6.Lack of change leadership / management skills
7.Low organizational readiness to change
8.Lack of top / middle management commitment
9.Resistance to change
10.Lack of employee involvement 6

7. How can you guarantee thee
success of a change effort
How to
guarantee
the success of a
change effort
Make a list of
the things that
can be done to
GUARANTEE
the SUCCESS
of a change
effort
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8. “Change failures do not usually result
from leaders not knowing what to do;
rather these failures result because leaders
fail to do what they know full well they
should & must do. Most leaders never get
fully comfortable with the changes that
they wish for their organizations.”
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9. Examples of ill-conceived, badly executed & poorly
led change are:
• Knee-jerk Change—based on hasty decisions made without
due diligence or sufficient input from affected parties
• Cinderella Change—expecting to succeed without seeking
out & addressing the reasons for the failure of previous
initiatives; requires a Fairy Godmother
• Do As I Say Change—when leaders speak the right words
but do not demonstrate their commitment through actions
• Yo-Yo Change—unpredictable, exemplified by ever-
changing priorities, plans, & promises
• Tightrope Change—when employees are asked to “work
without a net” of education & training to perform their
altered jobs
• Dishonest Change—uses communication that is unclear or
glosses over expected negatives like possible job loss 9

10. Is there a “compelling” reason for
our organization to change?
10
Question in need of an answer:

11. Change shouldn’t be “Just another
flavor of the month”
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12. A Quiz That You Cannot Fail!
•Do we know how we would like to be different?
(Where, Clarity)
•Are we clear on the changes that we intend to
create in the future? (What, Clarity)
•Are there compelling reasons to change?
(Why, Urgency)
•Are we passionate, positive, & realistic about the
opportunity / improvements? (Attitude)
•Are we confident that we can create the changes
we envision? (Confidence)
•Is there enough in it for me (others) to commit
to the effort? (Alignment) 12

13. Is your organization’s culture change
averse or ready (responsive)?
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14. How do you stack up against the
characteristics of a successful change leader?
1. 360-degree influence
2. Strong communication skills
3. A “big-picture,” strategic mindset
4. Conflict-resolution skills
5. Personal willingness & talent for change
6. Passion for change
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15. Twenty-Three Change
Best Practices / Lessons Learned
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16. # 1: Develop a Compelling Vision
• How Things Will Be Better With the Change
• More Than Sloganeering
• Leaders & Change Agents Need Their Own
Individual Visions & Need to Know How
That Fits Into the Organization’s Vision
• People Need to See How They Fit Into That
Vision
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17. # 2: Change Is a Journey, Not a Blueprint
• Develop Detailed, Multi-dimensional Plans
– Change Description
– Business Objectives
– Human Objectives
– Key Role Map
– Vision
– Detailed Activities, Resources, Timelines
– Measurements
• Recognize That This Is a Journey
– Will Need to Adapt Plan As Needs Change17

18. # 3: Warning: Need to Balance
“Preparing For” & “Implementing”
• There Is a Need to Develop a Comprehensive
Plan for the Change
• There Is a Need to Get the Organization Ready
for the Change
• But If It Takes Too Long, People Lose Interest
& Motivation
• So, Plan for Short Projects That Will Engage
the People 18

19. # 4: Understand & Own the Past
• The Past Bounds Future Success
• Identify Critical Success Factors From
Previous Successful Changes in the
Organization
– Surveys
– Interviews
– Lessons Learned Sessions
• Acknowledge Past Failures
– Explicitly Plan on Countermeasures 19

20. # 5: Build a Strong, Committed Leadership
Coalition
• At All Levels Within the Organization
• Teach Them Their Job
– Establish a Clear Vision
– Articulate That Vision
– Communicate With the Affected Groups
– Focus Energies on Their Direct Reports
– Monitor Progress
– Eliminate Obstacles
– Recognize and Reward Short-term Wins
– Stick With It for the Long Haul
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21. # 6: Identify All the People Who Are
Affected or Who Need to Be Involved
• Create a Key Role Map of the Formal
Organization
– Sponsors (at All Levels), Change Agents, Targets
• Also Identify Key Informal Organization People
(Understand Why They Have This Influence)
– Opinion Shapers, Gate Keepers, Idea Champions
• Develop an Understanding of Their
– Level of Influence & Level of Commitment to the
Change 21

22. # 7: Analyze Their Readiness for Change
• Assess the Organization on Their Readiness
for This Particular Change
– Surveys, One-on-One Discussions
• Understand Where People Are
– Early Adopters, Late Adopters, Laggards
• Are There Outside Organizations That Are
Influencers?
• Understand Their Frames of Reference &
Develop Communication Strategies
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23. #8: Start Where People Are Most Receptive
• Avoid the Dedicated Resistors, Focus on Early
Adopters (About 20% of the Population)
• Helps to Get Some Early Wins
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24. # 9: People Don’t Resist Their Own Ideas
• Get People Involved Early in the Planning
• Even If They Can’t Plan “What”, They Can
Plan “How”
• They Are Changed by the Act of Participating
in Planning the Change
• Surfaces Resistance Early & Can Potentially
Manage It
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25. # 10: Manage the Driving Forces As Well
As the Restraining Forces
What Forces Affect Your Change Project?
Driving forces – Dealing only with this side will
immediately generate counterforces
Restraining forces - personal psychological
defenses or group norms embedded in the
organizational or community culture.
Changes at the Top Career-based organization
Powerful external influences Low turnover
Powerful leader Success
Acceptance of need to change Stable environment
Externally focused Criteria of success not visible
Crisis of opportunity Lack of clear authority
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26. # 11: Establish a Darn Good Reason to
Change
• Substitute One Fear for Another
– Make the Anxiety Associated With Not
Changing Greater Than the Anxiety of
Changing
– Intentionally Create Disorder
• Remove the Mechanisms That Allow
People to Stay the Same
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27. #12: Say It Once, Say It Twice, & Say It Again
• Keep It Simple – No Jargon
• Use Language of the People
• Use Storytelling
• Use Different Mediums
– Memos, Group Meetings, Stories in
Newsletters, & One-on-one Meetings
– (Have Different Levels of Impact)
• Change Style of Communication Depending
Upon
– Where You Are in the Change
– Who You Are Communicating With
• Walk the Talk, Be Honest
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28. # 13: But Monitor the Communications
• Communicate Often, Regularly
• Control The Grapevine & Rumor Mill
• Provide Two-Way Q&A Opportunities
• Encourage & Monitor Employee Feedback
• Listen & Keep Listening
• Measure Communication Results &
Celebrate Successes
• Make Communication Monitoring the
Responsibility of Change & Transition
Teams
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29. # 14: Show Results – Early & Often
• Plan for Goals (Long & Near Term) That Are
Measurable, Tangible & Clear
– Explicitly Tied to Vision
• Not a Count of Activities
– # Of People Trained in . . . .
– # Of Procedures Written
• Performance Results That Matter to
Customers, Employees or Shareholders
– Reduction in Delivered Defects, Reduction
in Cycle Time 29

30. # 15: Prepare for “Implementation Dip”
• Things Often Get Worse Before They Get
Better
• Increase the Communication
– Change the Medium & Words
– Focus on What Is Ahead
– Provide As Much Information As Possible
• Allow Resistance to Surface & Manage It
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31. # 16: Validate the Feelings of People
• Resistance Can Be at Systemic or Behavioral
Level
– Systemic – Lack of Appropriate Knowledge,
Information, Skills & Managerial Capacity
(Cognitive)
– Behavioral – Reactions, Perceptions &
Assumptions (Emotional)
• Acknowledge the Pain of Changing
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32. • Letting Go of Familiar Past (Perhaps a
Romanticized View)
• Confronting Feelings About an Uncertain Future
• Dealing With Loss of Face
• Redesigning a Focus on New Realities
Working on These in Public, Facilitated
Forums Allows People to Constructively
Express Their Anxiety & Anger & Helps to
Reduce Passive-Aggressive Inertia & Sabotage
#17: Deal With the 4 “F’s of Loss & Change”
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33. # 18: Don’t Resist Resistance
• Resistance Is
– Inevitable
– A Natural Function of Change
– Manageable
• Resistance Is Not
– Necessarily Logical
– A Sign of Disloyalty
– To Be Taken Personally
– A Sign That the Change Project Is Out of
Control 33

34. # 19: Use a Variety of Mediums to Build
Competency in the Change
• Train Employees As Facilitators for the
Change
– Helps Them to Demonstrate Active
Commitment to the Change
– Can Immediately Reinforce the Change
• Study Groups / Teams, Coaching
• Web-based, Classroom Training
• Action-learning
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35. #20 : Be a Successful Change Leader
1. Learn the Fundamentals of Change Management.
2. Be Familiar With the Current State of Your
Organization / Environment, & The Case for
Change.
3. Understand Your Organization’s Track Record
For Change.
4. Educate ALL Employees On Their Roles in the
Change
– To Be Open to Change
– To Anticipate Change, Not Just React to It
– To Accept That Change Causes Stress & to
Developing Coping Mechanisms 35

36. In Conclusion: The World is Changing!
“The world is too big for us. Too much is going on,
too many crimes, too much violence & excitement.
Try as you will, you get behind in the race in spite
of yourself. It is an incessant strain to keep pace,
& still you lose ground. Science empties its
discoveries on you so fast you stagger beneath
them in hopeless bewilderment. The political
world is news changing so rapidly that you’re out
of breath trying to keep pace with who’s in &
who’s out. Everything is high pressure. Human
nature can’t endure much more!”
•The Atlantic Journal - June 16, 1833 36

37. When you’re finished changing,
you’re finished. Kathleen Romero
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38. QUESTIONS?
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