Leading Change: Building a Resilient Organization Cindy Browne

Agenda What’s going on with change? What is resilience? Why is it important? What is a resilient organization? How can I increase my station’s resiliency? What does this require of me as a leader?

Change is Changing More change Faster pace More complex

Our Old Experience with Change Change events TIME

The Reality of Change Today TIME

Resilience The ability to absorb high levels of change without displaying dysfunctional behavior. *Daryl Conner, Conner Partners Reactive model

Resilience The ability to bounce back - and, in fact, to bounce forward - with speed, grace and determination. *Michael Bell - Gartner Research

Resilience The ability to continuously anticipate and adjust to trends. The ability to dynamically reinvent business models and strategies as circumstances change. To change before the case for change becomes desperately obvious. * Gary Hamel - consultant & author

Why is Resilience Important? Change is changing Assumed virtue no longer guarantees success-we need continual renewal Working to get better vs. working to get different People and organizations shutting down endangers the status quo!

Attributes of Resilient Organizations View change as an on-going process Tolerate ambiguity Encourage productive resistance Practice “Sober-Selling” Manage their change capacity Make resilience a priority

1. View Change as an On-going Process See change as the natural order of things Expect change to be a constant Regard change as a process not an event

2. Tolerate Ambiguity Ambiguity = Not clear or distinct Ambiguity is what is; uncertain is how we feel about it Need to be OK with the discomfort of feeling uncertain due to the ambiguity inherent in change Need to be OK with not being in control

3. Encourage Productive Resistance Resistance is neither good or bad; it’s a natural attachment to the status quo Constructive resistance can improve the change If you try to sidestep or repress resistance, it goes underground Better to give it a legitimate way to surface and be resolved

4. Practice “Sober-Selling” We tend to oversell the positive aspects of change and undersell the negative This creates a gap between expectations and what actually happens The gap creates surprise, a sense of things being out of control and discomfort Sell the benefits, but don’t ignore the cost.

5. Manage Change Capacity Think of it as your station’s change budget Be aware of all the changes going on and their impact on your staff Don’t introduce major change when the station is at capacity

6. Make Resilience a Priority View it as a strategic necessity, right up there with efficiency and effectiveness Devote time and resources to building this capacity

Increase Your Station’s Resilience Demystify change Consistent approach to change Influence cultural values, beliefs and assumptions

1. Demystify Change We talk a lot about changing, but very little about change Don’t treat it like a black box - we may not be able to control change, but we can understand it better Develop a base-line understanding of change dynamics Does your staff understand how change works?

2. Consistent Approach to Change We have a process….we’ve done this before..we’re not out of control Think through the steps of change planning to up your odds of success Develop an acceptable way for resistance to be expressed and resolved Do you have a change planning process?

3. Influence the Culture Culture = Behaviors (Observable)+ Beliefs & Assumptions (Hidden) The way we do things around here A shared viewpoint developed over time

3. Influence the Culture Culture is reflected in: Oral + written communications Organizational structure What is measured and controlled Policies and procedures Reward systems Stories, legends, rituals, symbols Facility design

3. Influence the Culture Culture either evolves on its own or is designed to support the organization in achieving its mission. Which describes your culture?

3. Influence the Culture Know your culture Understand which aspects of the culture support change and resilience and which don’t Plan how to support good aspects and replace detrimental aspects with new beliefs, behaviors and assumptions.

3. Influence the Culture Has this happened to you? When there’s a gap between the culture and the objectives of your change, culture always wins. Has this happened to you?

Leading for Resiliency Increase your own resilience Work on your EQ (Emotional Intelligence) Shift from reactive (change victim) to proactive (change leader) stance Cultivate organizational resiliency as a strategic priority

Resilience Assessment What kinds of resilience assets do you see in your station? What resilience deficits concern you and why? R = Magnitude x Frequency of Change Time + Expense + Emotional Energy

Resilience Quotient R = Magnitude x Frequency of Change Time + Expense + Emotional Energy The goal is to keep R high, decreasing the denominator even as the numerator increases

Resources Managing at the Speed of Change, Daryl Conner The Quest for Resilience, Gary Hamel and Liisa Välikangas (HBR 9/03) Leading Change, John Kotter Leading in a Culture of Change, Michael Fullan

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