Managing Change Allison Rossett San Diego State University Managing Change

Making Good Things Happen Managing Change: 1.CONCLUDE WHAT USED TO BE: Identify who is losing what See clearly defined change as a cue ball. Who gets hit? secondarily? Recognize that some of the losses are very deep Accept the deeply subjective reactions. You need commitment, not just compliance. Losses from change accumulate and are collected. Expect and accept signs of grieving (anger, bargaining, sadness...) Give people information, and do it over and over again [William Bridges]

Making Good Things Happen Managing Change: 1.Conclude WHAT USED TO BE: Compensate for losses Do it through financial means, new development opportunities, recognition Is there a way to give people back some sense of control of future? Define what's over and what isn't and MARK IT CLEARLY SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN SEE IT’S OVER (tear down cubicle walls; burn the manuals, paint the walls, etc.)

Making Good Things Happen Managing Change: 2.MANAGE THE NEUTRAL ZONE BETWEEN the END AND the NEW BEGINNINGS Absences and anxieties skyrocket. Confusion is rampant. Remember, people are going from one identity to another. Think trapeze, where you've let go of one and wonder about the arrival of the other. Create temporary systems for the neutral zone Establish task forces and work teams. Help set short term goals. Usually, reduce productivity expectations to realistic levels. Establish increased communications across groups Establish a transition monitoring team (pulse takers with limited decision-making authority, but lots of influence) Use neutral zone to find new, better ways to do things, to develop skills in innovation, to resist desire for quick answers

Making Good Things Happen Managing Change: 3.LAUNCH NEW BEGINNINGS Practically, the world changes quickly. Out go the old computers; in come the new. Out go the old titles, in come the new. It's the people transitions that come hard and slow. Also, entry into the new beginning ends the respite (for some) of the neutral. People need what Bridges calls the 4 P's: PURPOSE, PICTURE, PLAN AND PART TO PLAY. PURPOSE: Be clear and oriented to employee perspective. Avoid cliches. Focus on this org. and its context. Just picking the current buzz word isn't good enough. It rings false. PICTURE: What's it going to be like when the org. is there? Details? PLAN: Answers the question: what will happen on Monday. The plan is oriented to the process. PART TO PLAY: Detail the roles people will be expected to play. What will I do on Monday?

Making Good Things Happen Managing Change: 3.LAUNCH NEW BEGINNINGS cont’d. Reinforce the new beginnings: Be consistent (can't have customer service and rule following...) Show how people are better off for the change Ensure reasonably quick successes and celebrate every success Symbolize the new identity associated with the beginning

Successful Change Strategies For success, R & D = investment, not cost In an organization, initial innovation is usually product oriented, with many versions produced (E.G., automobiles, typewriters, PCs) Once a standard product is established, then focus on process innovations. Then, focus according to Utterback, is on cost, volume and capacity. Today, shift to mass customization and personalization.

Successful Change Strategies In industries, waves of innovation, then periods of stability. Bold change rarely comes from within, but usually from ‘upstarts’ Failure to innovate: business failure, per Utterback Michael Porter: massive study of 10 nations: often innovators are outsiders, and where they are large firms, they are often new entrants to the industry from established positions in other fields. Success is “most likely a result of constant innovation to adapt to changing circumstances.”

PT-R-US A new general manager arrives at a company long famous for custom training products and services. Selected because of his experiences with automation and productivity, he is charged with helping people cope with a new way of approaching their work. The CEO wants to use automated instructional design and development systems to increase quality and productivity. The CEO brings you and your organization, PT-R-US, in as a consultant to help grapple with this major change. What would you advise that they do, in general? What should they do first? Next? What are the key aspects of your recommendations to make this a smooth transition? What do you recommend? Use Bridges to help you with this challenge.