MHRM587 Foundational Model of Change

Managing change is a complex process. Change does not occur in one great swoop. Few organizations manage the process as well as they would like. In order to make change work, organizations need to follow a process to enhance the probability of success versus just “winging it.” The following model of change provides one useful way to think about creating and implementing organization-wide change.

Basic Change Process Model Consideration Stimulus Driving Forces Pre-Change Validate Need Preparation Commit Do –Check – Act Implementation RESULT New Normal Change Active Conscious Culture Passive Unconscious

Pre-Change Paradigm This is the first stage of the change journey. Without a paradigm that encourages “active searching,” organizations can ignore important early warning signs and wait until a crisis highlights the need for change (i.e., scenario planning) Make sure you know what is important?  Who is important?  What do they want?  How are you doing?  What could be improved?

Stimulus (Driving Forces) & Assessment 1.What are the driving forces or antecedents to change— internal and external. 2.How do these driving forces influence the organization’s business model and force new requirements for success? 3.Is change really necessary? Deciding the status quo is preferable is a productive learning activity. 4.Caution #1: What must be guarded against is any denial that any driving forces or stimuli for change exist. 5.Caution #2: Or when it’s recognized that change is required, the “disconfirming data” may induce anxiety which can obviate the change as necessary 6.Sound analysis of driving forces is a prerequisite to good change strategy

Validate Need 1.Establish compelling need for change. 2.Create a sense of urgency 3.Begin to create psychological safety 4.Begin to address the inertia of the existing status quo (resistance to change) 5.Transformation Leadership  key framework in leading change

Preparation Caution: Avoid premature action without first developing an effective plan for the change  What is the change vision?  What will success look like?  What are the criteria for success?  What resources + administrative support systems will be needed?  What is the timeline for this change?  What kind of change is required? Incremental? Transformational?

Commitment to Act 1.Is the planned action the most effective and efficient way to deliver the required change? 2.Begin the “unfreeze” process in the change cycle

Do-Check-Act (Implementation) Implementing change is the most challenging aspect of any change effort. Once the momentum for change has been successfully launched, what is delivered must be effectively managed. We will introduce several frameworks useful for this purpose during the course: PDCA Cycle {Plan-Do-Act-Change} Lewin’s 3-Phase Change Model Kotter’s 8-Step Model Nadler’s Congruence Model McKinsey 7-S Framework + STAR Model Others

New Normal As organizational leadership recognizes, rewards, and models the new behavior in order to embed it in the fabric of the organization, the change becomes the new normal or the ‘the way we do business here.’ Of course, as soon as it is established, the new normal becomes the pre-change paradigm for whatever emerges next—otherwise we become trapped within existing mindsets.