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[Audiobook] Workplace Essentials | Change Management
What if you could turn the inevitable disruptions of change into opportunities for growth? Join us as we unpack actionable strategies that empower leaders to implement change smoothly while helping their teams navigate the emotional and practical challenges that come with it. In this insightful episode, we explore the significance of stakeholder involvement, the pivotal role of communication, and the critical need for a well-defined strategy. Through real-life examples of leaders like Tammy and Bill, we demonstrate how addressing employee concerns and methodical planning can make all the difference in managing change effectively.
Preparation, communication, education, training, and flexibility are more than buzzwords—they are indispensable tools for any leader facing organizational change. We dive into these elements, sharing practical insights on maintaining open lines of communication, being ready for the unexpected, and delegating tasks efficiently. Moreover, we emphasize the necessity of gaining widespread support by addressing rumors with clear, factual information. Learn how to keep your team aligned and motivated through real-life successes and challenges.
Finally, discover the transformative potential of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) as we discuss its 4D cycle—Discovery, Dream, Design, and Destiny. Inspiring case studies like British Airways' "The Power of Two" and the Imagine Chicago Project illustrate how AI can revolutionize organizational culture and build resilience. This episode underscores the importance of management commitment and workforce involvement in fostering a positive and adaptable organizational environment. Get ready to embrace change as a pathway to growth, supported by wisdom from thought leaders like Victor Frankel and Price Pritchett. Your journey to mastering change management is just beginning!
Sign up for our self-paced courses or instructor-led workshops at www.ht-a.solutions
Sign up for our self-paced courses or instructor-led workshops at www.ht-a.solutions
Sign up for our self-paced courses or instructor-led workshops at www.ht-a.solutions
What if you could turn the inevitable disruptions of change into opportunities for growth? Join us as we unpack actionable strategies that empower leaders to implement change smoothly while helping their teams navigate the emotional and practical challenges that come with it. In this insightful episode, we explore the significance of stakeholder involvement, the pivotal role of communication, and the critical need for a well-defined strategy. Through real-life examples of leaders like Tammy and Bill, we demonstrate how addressing employee concerns and methodical planning can make all the difference in managing change effectively.
Preparation, communication, education, training, and flexibility are more than buzzwords—they are indispensable tools for any leader facing organizational change. We dive into these elements, sharing practical insights on maintaining open lines of communication, being ready for the unexpected, and delegating tasks efficiently. Moreover, we emphasize the necessity of gaining widespread support by addressing rumors with clear, factual information. Learn how to keep your team aligned and motivated through real-life successes and challenges.
Finally, discover the transformative potential of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) as we discuss its 4D cycle—Discovery, Dream, Design, and Destiny. Inspiring case studies like British Airways' "The Power of Two" and the Imagine Chicago Project illustrate how AI can revolutionize organizational culture and build resilience. This episode underscores the importance of management commitment and workforce involvement in fostering a positive and adaptable organizational environment. Get ready to embrace change as a pathway to growth, supported by wisdom from thought leaders like Victor Frankel and Price Pritchett. Your journey to mastering change management is just beginning!
Sign up for our self-paced courses or instructor-led workshops at www.ht-a.solutions
Sign up for our self-paced courses or instructor-led workshops at www.ht-a.solutions
Sign up for our self-paced courses or instructor-led workshops at www.ht-a.solutions
Change Management. Module 1. Getting Started. Change is a constant in our lives, all around us. Technologies, processes, people, ideas and methods often change, affecting the way we perform daily tasks and live our lives. This workshop will give any leader tools to implement changes more smoothly and to have those changes better accepted. This workshop will also give all participants an understanding of how change is implemented and some tools for managing their reactions to change. Module 2. Preparing for Change.
Speaker 1:A simple definition of change is to cause to be different. The idea of change management on a personal level has been studied for more than 100 years, but it is only since the mid-1980s that change management has been explored within the context of business applications. Today's change management initiatives have become a business discipline, driving bottom-line results through changes in systems and behaviors. Managing change has therefore become a critical skill both for leadership and for workers in an organization. It is critical to manage change by creating and implementing a strategy that defines an approach consistent with the unique needs of the organization. The strategy serves as the guiding framework, providing direction and shaping decision-making throughout the change process. A simple way to gather data for the strategy is to set up interviews and ask questions regarding the different aspects of the change. Here are some typical questions the situation. What is being changed? How much perceived need for the change exists? What groups will be impacted? How long will the change take? People and their roles. Who will serve as a high-level sponsor? What functional groups should be represented to lead the effort? Issues for analysis what will happen if we do or don't do this? How universal is the change? Are there exceptions or deviations to consider? From the answers to the questions, the strategy document is created, serving as a blueprint for the initiative. A strategy document should discuss important components of the change. The components include description of the proposed change vision and its goals. Transform the business processes and the technology by which the organization manages the human resources and payroll functions. The reasons is why the change is necessary. These changes will allow the organization to save time and money and provide more responsive HR and payroll services to our employees. Critical success measures and key performance indicators. Risks have been proactively identified and addressed. Employees are prepared to perform their new job on go-live day with a 95% success ratio. Project stakeholders and stakeholder groups and their involvement.
Speaker 1:The current phase senior management. The pre-implementation phase. Senior management subject matter experts. Change champions. Key messages to communicate. Pre-implementation phase the business requirements, business case, staffing and the projected timeline. Roles and responsibilities. Communications team lead. Develop project communications and presentations. Change management team lead Direct overall team activities. Provide team with change management expertise. Manage project team effectiveness, capability transfer and leadership alignment activities. Target time frame to achieve goals. This can be a graphical timeline, a paragraph, an embedded spreadsheet, etc. Focus areas Leadership alignment Align leaders to the project vision and enable them to champion the effort.
Speaker 1:Organizational transition Design new employee roles, jobs and organization structures to support the new processes and technology. To effectively implement a team position for success, leaders must select members who display a high degree of skill in six key elements 1. Commitment, 2. Contribution, 3. Communication, 4. Cooperation, 5. Conflict management. 6. Connection. The team must represent all of the needed functional groups and roles necessary to manage the change initiative. By formalizing the team and providing funding and other resources, it sends a message of accountability and responsibility and illustrates the investment the organization has made in the change.
Speaker 1:James needed to prepare for a change in management at a paper distribution company. In order to do so, he assembled a very specific team of competent employees. They were chosen based on factors such as commitment, communication and conflict management. They were able to effectively design a strategy for the change and guide it onward to completion. Which helped the company grow and evolve. For the change and guide it onward to completion. Which help the company grow and evolve.
Speaker 1:Module 3. Identifying the WIFM. For change to be successful, people must desire to support and participate in the change. Simply building awareness does not generate desire. Showing everyone what is in it for them will produce a great starting point and help generate support. The beginning of the change process is very important, and showing the affected parties how the change will improve their environment will initiate the process on a positive note. In order to answer the question, what's in it for me, or WIFM, change management leadership must create energy and engagement around the change. This builds momentum and instills support at all engagement around the change. This builds momentum and instills support at all levels of the organization. Factors that influence WIFM are the nature of the change, the organizational context for the change, an employee's personal situation. What motivates the person as an individual.
Speaker 1:Effective communication is essential for building support throughout the organization. Whoever communicates with people impacted by a change must have a clear understanding of the overall nature of the change, its reasons and how it aligns with the vision for the organization. They must understand the risks of not changing the timing for the change and who will be most impacted by the change. Communication options are many, including email presentations, postings on the organization's intranet fly. Communication options are many, including email presentations, postings on the organization's intranet, flyers and circulars, banners, online or phone conferences and special social events. Beforehand. Communicators should identify and segment audience groups, craft messages appropriate for each audience and determine the most effective packaging, timing and methods for communicating.
Speaker 1:Executive, sp, executive sponsorship, coaching by managers and supervisors, ready access to business information. Mary was responsible for letting everyone know how an upcoming change in vendors would affect them. She was knowledgeable about the company as a whole and she knew the details and reasons behind the change. Her only issue was to decide how to convey relevant information to the employees that would let them know how it would change their normal work. She decided to hold a presentation for the employees who would be most affected by the change. In addition, she made sure that managers and supervisors were able to coach key employees on how to handle the change, so that it would be a smooth transition. When everyone saw why the change was needed, they were able to fully support it.
Speaker 1:Module 4. Understanding Change. Change is constant and understanding its components on an individual level can help us relate it to an organizational level. Change is important to understand as it affects many facets of an organization. Its effect on the individual is of great importance, as it will filter through and influence all levels of the organization. Organizational change can create fear and uncertainty. It is important to understand these influences, what is expected when they do occur and how to prepare for them.
Speaker 1:Typically, causes of change can be split into two categories internal and external. No organization is an island and external forces are always influencing and interacting with its existence. Individuals and organizations may have very little ability to influence such external factors, such as politics, culture, economy, societal changes or technology. It is important to understand that, if the change is the result of an external factor, accept the change and then modify any internal processes or items that are affected by the external influence. Internal factors can be numerous, as almost any item or event can influence change within an organization, but some of the more influential ones are employees, policies, organization structure, managerial and financial. With internal causes of change, we have the greatest ability to control and prepare the outcomes of such events. The benefits of this are numerous, as we can prepare with education, communication, training and support. These tools will help mitigate any negative outcomes which may occur as a result of the change.
Speaker 1:Common reactions to change Denial If a change is announced, some people may feel that the change is not necessary. They may be reluctant to listen or may deny any facts or information presented to support the change. Resistance With any change, there will always be people who resist. Resistance is very common and stems from a fear of the unknown. Not knowing how an event is going to turn out can be a scary event for those who go through the change. Anger when change occurs and the norm is uprooted, people can experience anger. People may lash out and become uncooperative during this time. Humans are creatures of habit and when that changes, people can become angry. Indifference People just may not care, or the change may not have an impact on their routines or work. Be wary of this, as the change may be intended to have an impact. If an individual is indifferent about the change, then they may not understand or accept it. Acceptance Changes generally occur for the better and have a positive influence on those involved. Even with positive change, acceptance may not happen right away, but should occur quicker when the change is perceived not to be negative.
Speaker 1:Preparing for the change is very important. Preparation increases the chance of success. These tools will help facilitate the change process and provide the best chances for success. Communication Keep the lines of communication open before, during and after the change, as on-the-fly changes may be needed. This will help with any unforeseen events that occur during the change. It will also help to learn from the event, making future changes even smoother.
Speaker 1:Education Educate all parties about the reasons for the change and what the expected outcomes will be. People want to know why a change is occurring. It will also help to stop and clear up any rumors that may be circulating. Training Make sure all parties are trained and up to date with any and all material required for the change. A very important step if the change involves adding or removing any pertinent procedures within the business. Flexibility Even though a change has been planned, not all events can be foreseen. Be flexible and ready to modify or update the current plan to account for any unforeseen events. Affected parties it is especially important to have the individuals that are involved in the change participate in the change process. They may be able to shed light into the subject from an expert's point of view, these tools will help battle any negative reactions when changes occur, and with more preparation, changes should be smoother.
Speaker 1:Tammy knew that an upcoming organizational change was going to affect a large amount of people within the company. Before the change was even implemented, tammy was approached by various employees with complaints about the change. When she questioned them on the other aspects of the change or the details that pertain to them, most people didn't actually know. Tammy realized that the main reason for the backlash was the lack of education provided for the employees on the matter. She set up a meeting to do away with any rumors and address any concerns. Eventually, the employees accepted the change after understanding it better.
Speaker 1:Module 5. Leading and Managing the Change. Every change begins with a leadership decision. Making the decision to institute changes is not always easy. Being prepared, planning well and being surrounded by a good team will make that decision a lot easier. Preparing and planning Begin by putting surrounded by a good team will make that decision a lot easier. Preparing and planning Begin by putting yourself in a positive frame of mind. You are likely to experience higher than normal levels of stress, and anticipating this will give you the ability to prepare mentally and physically. You will be the anchor person and foundation guiding your team through these stressful events. Be a reassuring and active force throughout the whole process. It is impossible to prepare for every contingency, but planning for the known is a must. Add time or extra room to the schedule for the unknowns. When you encounter an unexpected event, your schedule should not be put off by much. If you have already built in some leeway, it will provide that buffer to give you and your team the ability to deal with the unknowns and keep rolling with the change process.
Speaker 1:Surround yourself with people that you can delegate to and be confident in. Be precise and specific with your directions. When the change process begins, you will be depending on these individuals and their talents. Communicating and providing feedback are the keys to successful delegation. Make sure your team understands this. If communication fails or there is not accurate feedback, the chances of a success are lessened. An issue that sometimes arises when delegating is micromanaging. Make a conscious effort not to micromanage, as you can quickly lose track of events and take time away from your main duties. Delegating is a skill that takes time. You must first learn the strengths and weakness of your team and know what tasks you can and cannot delegate.
Speaker 1:Always be available during the change process. Alert your friends and family that you may not be available for upcoming social events. Reassure your team that you are there for them and that you will provide them with the necessary resources to lead them through the change. Stress to them that you are available and focus on keeping the lines of communication open. Always be aware of and address any rumors surrounding the change. Clear up any confusion by supplying honest and clear communication as soon as possible. Direct your team to seek out more information from a reliable source if they hear a rumor. Remind them that spreading rumors helps no one and will cause more harm than good.
Speaker 1:Not everyone will agree on the change. Keep in mind that these types of feelings are normal, as people generally do not enjoy change and are sometimes made nervous by it. You will likely encounter pushback and resistance by a number of team members. Provide facts and data to show why the change is happening and reassure them the need and benefits of the change. If you are encountering an extreme case of pushback, provide employees with some choices that still fall within the spectrum of the intended change. Perhaps then they will feel more involved in the process and it will help alleviate the negative mindset they may be experiencing.
Speaker 1:Bill needed to plan for the smooth transition after a new organizational change would go into effect. When planning, he made sure to be positive and relaxed. He was the guiding hand for the transition and if he was overstressed then the team he oversaw might be too, and that could be problematic. In the planning period he paid attention to detail and made sure to have a contingency plan for certain unknown factors by allowing extra time in the schedule for flexibility in the plan, he kept as many people he could delegate responsibilities to as possible and made sure to keep the line of communication open to allow concerns and questions into consideration. This made the way for a smooth transition possible.
Speaker 1:Module 6. Gaining Support. It is vitally important to make sure that all stakeholders and employees are on board with any change In order to continue increasing awareness and employees are on board with any change. In order to continue increasing awareness and build desire to support the upcoming change, the change management team must reach out to the organization at large. The force field analysis developed by German social psychologist Kurt Lewin helps a change management team to identify pros and cons of an option prior to making a decision, explore what is going right and what is going wrong. Analyze any two opposing positions. If concerns or issues arise, then steps must be taken to ensure awareness is continually raised and that desire to support the change is increased. Strategies that can help the change management team responsibly address employees' concerns include Engaging employees. Providing forums for people to express their questions and concerns. Equipping managers and supervisors to be effective change leaders and managers of resistance. Orchestrating opportunities for advocates of the change to contact those not yet on board. Aligning incentive and performance management systems to support the change. Aligning incentive and performance management systems to support the change.
Speaker 1:Change is not exempt from Murphy's Law and even if something isn't going wrong, change management team members must constantly be observing, listening and evaluating the progress and process during a change. Here are several tools to help the team accomplish this. A feedback form is used to gather information from those involved in a change to help shape the remaining course of the change project. Instead of a paper form, feedback can be obtained through online surveys zoomerangcom or surveymonkeycom, an in-house questionnaire on the intranet, a few questions sent by email or a focus group. The questions will vary depending upon the subject being queried Open feedback. Please feel free to share your suggestions and comments. The compiled results of the feedback forms can be used by the change management team members to modify the project plan and or the communication plan or to work with specific individuals or groups that may be providing roadblocks to success.
Speaker 1:Tom was concerned with the level of support for a new change that would be implemented within the company. In order to make sure that the plan was accepted and if not, why not? Tom made sure to conduct surveys with the employees about the change and their opinion on it. When he received the concerns that some employees had, he was better able to address the concerns in preparation for the plan's implementation. When it did finally go into effect, tom and the rest of the change team had addressed the common concerns and made the changes that led to full support of the change Module 7. Making it all worthwhile Once a change initiative is underway, it is critical to sustain the change with reinforcement.
Speaker 1:The leader must make sure that the project and communication plan remain on track. They need to identify and explore any issues from employees or stakeholders that have emerged, and review and consider any feedback gathered to date. Acting as a facilitator, the leader helps to bring about learning and productivity. Communication will be a byproduct of this by providing indirect or unobtrusive assistance, guidance and supervision. A facilitator listens actively, asks questions, encourages diverse viewpoints, organizes information, helps the group reach consensus and understands that the individual needs of team members will affect teamwork.
Speaker 1:The LEAD model provides a simple methodology for facilitating a participative meeting Lead with objectives. When clear objectives are stated, group energy is channeled toward achieving an outcome. The objectives shape the content of the meeting. Empower to participate In the LEAD model. The facilitator is empowered to encourage active participation. Aim for consensus. Getting the team to consensus will have members more likely to support and carry out the decisions of the team. Direct the process. How the meeting progresses will influence the quality of the decisions of the team and influences the commitment of team members. Leaders must differentiate between process and content. Content includes the topics, subjects or issues. Process is about how the topics, subjects or issues are addressed.
Speaker 1:Because communications from managers and supervisors have been shown to have a significant impact on employees during a change initiative, it is appropriate that they be actively involved in celebrating success with employees as a result of positive performance. Celebrations can occur on three levels 1. One-on-one conversation In a private meeting. A supervisor should attest to the fact that, due to the employee's effort a change was made and how it is succeeding. Verbal appreciation and thanks should be extended to the employee. 2. Public recognition Public recognition officially acknowledges outstanding performance and points out a role model that helped make a successful change happen. Supervisors should carefully consider who receives recognition and not alienate group members who participated in the change but who may not have distinguished themselves as significantly. 3. Group celebrations Fun or engaging activities are used to celebrate key milestones by a group. They include buffet or restaurant lunches, dinner events or can include group outings to sports, amusement or cultural events. It is important that these types of celebrations include the involvement of the primary change sponsor in some way.
Speaker 1:In order to sustain the impact of a change, it is important for everyone who is involved in the process to know what results are occurring. This occurs across a number of dimensions in the process. To know what results are occurring this occurs across a number of dimensions. Ongoing feedback is needed from employees at all levels. Feedback tools such as the feedback at contemporary chemical form in the evaluating and adapting section remain a good method for gathering ongoing input. Using an electronic delivery method improves throughput. Jenny was part of the team that was overseeing an organizational change within the company. The change had recently been implemented with full support from the rest of the company, but sustaining that support was important. Addressing concerns that emerge over time in status meetings kept the board on track. When progress was made, managers would congratulate employees on a job well done, with one-on-one conversations and even public recognition. Keeping everyone knowledgeable about the results that were being made with the change helped keep support levels high after the initial implementation.
Speaker 1:Module 8. Using Appreciative Inquiry. Appreciative Inquiry is a model for change management developed by David L Cooperider, phd, a professor at Case Western University. The name combines two definitions Appreciate, to look for the best in something, and to increase something in value. Inquiry means to seek understanding using a process based on provocative questions Based on the meanings of the two words. Ai theorizes that organizations are not problems to be solved. Rather, each organization has been created as a solution designed in its own time to meet a challenge or to satisfy a need within society. A guiding principle in appreciative inquiry is the concept of the positive core, or what gives life to an organization. Here is a list of elements that make up a positive core Achievements, strategic opportunities, cooperative moments, technical assets, innovations, elevated thoughts, community assets, positive emotions, financial assets, community wisdom, core competencies, visions of possibility, vital traditions and values, positive macro trends, social capital and embedded knowledge.
Speaker 1:The four stages in the Appreciative Inquiry Model are known as the 4D cycle. They are 1. Discovery, mobilizing the whole system by engaging all stakeholders in the articulation of strengths and best practices, identifying the best of what has been and what is. 2. Dream, creating a clear, results-oriented vision in relation to discovered potential and in relation to discovered potential and in relation to questions of higher purpose, such as what does the world call us to become? 3. Design, creating possibility, propositions of the idea. Organization, articulating an organization design that is capable of drawing upon and magnifying the positive core to realize the newly expressed dream. 4. Destiny, strengthening the affirmative capability of the whole system, enabling it to build hope and sustain momentum for ongoing positive change and high performance.
Speaker 1:While each AI process is unique, in an organization, change efforts typically progress sequentially through the 4D cycle. Various types of questions help elicit feedback and ideas during the process. What's the biggest problem here? Why do we still have those problems? What possibilities exist that we have not yet considered? What's the smallest change that could make the biggest impact? What solutions would have us both win? Topics emerge from interviews with people throughout the organization. In several ways, preliminary interviews are held within the organization at its best levels. In several ways, preliminary interviews are held within the organization at its best levels. A cross-section of people throughout the organization are engaged in inquiry. People are challenged to shift deficit, negative issues into affirmative, positive topics for inquiry.
Speaker 1:Appreciative inquiry is conducted in organizations for several reasons. It allows the performance of people from across the whole system to participate in an inquiry. All stakeholders employees, customers, vendors and interested community members are involved in the process. It leads to the design of appreciative organizations that can support stakeholders, fostering a triple bottom line people, profits and planet. It serves as a catalyst for the transformation of an organizational culture. Over the past few decades, there have been many approaches to appreciative inquiry. Two key methods of the appreciative inquiry used often in organizations are whole system inquiry and the AI summit. Whole system inquiry Whole system inquiry follows the 4D cycle to involve all stakeholders employees, customers, vendors and interested community members in the appreciative inquiry process Discovery phase, interviews by facilitators, interviews of each other, dream, design and destiny.
Speaker 1:During these three phases, small groups gather to share stories, capture best practices, launch teams to address innovation or other issues that have arisen the AI Summit. The AI Summit is a full-scale meeting process that concentrates on the discovery and development of an organization's positive core. The process participants then use this knowledge to design strategic business processes, marketing, customer service, leadership, human resources development, new products. Cross-sections of diverse stakeholders participate, typically a four-day event. Each day focuses on one of the cycle phases Discovery, perform a system-wide inquiry into the core. Participants Hold appreciative interviews. Capture, reflect on interview highlights, dream, imagine the organization's greatest potential for positive influence and effect in the world. Participants Share dreams captured during the interviews. Create and present dramatic enactments. Design Create propositions that reflect a boldly alive positive core in all strategies, processes, systems, decisions and collaborations. Participants Create provocative design statements incorporating the positive core. Destiny Invite action inspired by the discovery, dream and design days. Participants declare intended actions publicly and ask for support. Use self-organized groups to plan next steps.
Speaker 1:British Airways. David Erick, vp of Customer Service for British Airways North America, wanted to engage employees to make changes, to increase work satisfaction and to provide the level of customer service for which the airline is known worldwide. In North America, it was found that best practices were not being identified, shared or replicated across the 22 stations. Mr Erick undertook a whole system-appsystem appreciative inquiry process to transform the organizational culture. After several preliminary briefings and meetings, where more than 50 line managers and organizational development professionals learned about appreciative inquiry and checked with colleagues in two other companies, a full-scale appreciative inquiry initiative was launched. During a pivotal core team meeting, where affirmative inquiry topics were being selected, the issue of the cost and frustrations of delayed and lost baggage emerged. However, upon further exploration by the facilitators, it was determined that the ability of customer service agents to provide an exceptional arrival experience would be a more positive focus. Three other topics agreed to were happiness at work, continuous people development and harmony among work groups. Two initiatives would be required in order to effect positive change, with the four topics management, commitment and the involvement of the entire workforce. This meant that a whole system involvement would be needed to achieve the goals. With the agreement of the core team to steward the process, volunteers signed up for roles including conducting interviews, naming and branding the initiative, speaking about AI to groups, writing articles or being interviewed for in-house communications. Serving as the AI coordinator at the station, a cross-level, cross-functional steering team that included an AI consultant was formed to oversee the issues and team progress. The process was given a name, the power of two and the AI initiative took off at British Airways.
Speaker 1:Typical of the questions that were asked Describe your most memorable arrival experience as a customer or as airline personnel. What made it memorable for you? How did you feel? Tell me a story about your most powerful service recovery. Describe the situation. What was it about you that made it happen? Who else was involved and why were they significant? What tools did you use or what did you do that others might be able to do when in a similar situation?
Speaker 1:The Imagine Chicago Project. A third case involves a non-profit community organization in Chicago. Imagine Chicago was founded by Bliss Brown to help people imagine and create a positive future for Chicago and its children. Its first project was a citywide appreciative inquiry process in which 50 at-risk youths interviewed more than 150 adult community builders in Chicago to learn about the highlights of their lives as citizens and their hopes and plans for the city's future. During a five-month period, several different strategies were used Provide training to citizen leaders about the city's future. During a five-month period, several different strategies were used Provide training to citizen leaders about the appreciative inquiry process. Learning to ask positive questions, team formation and organization strategies. Brainstorming strategies to determine project focuses, action planning, implementation and sustaining strategies. Imagine Chicago's AI work involve three core processes 1. Dialogue across cultural, racial and generational boundaries. 2. Curriculum development frameworks and organizers to understand, imagine and create projects that build community. 3. Network formation to link individuals and organizations committed to developing a positive future for Chicago and its children. As a result of the AI project, consisting mainly of intergenerational interviews, imagine Chicago leaders discover that commitments of the adult community citizens were rejuvenated, a new sense of shared civic identify was cultivated and young people felt a greater commitment toward making a difference.
Speaker 1:John was needed to help with change management within a paper distribution company. He decided that he would go with the appreciative inquiry model as his strategic approach to the change management. The first step was discovery, done by informing all stakeholders about the strengths and best practices that are done. Next was to dream, when, looking at the resources available and the ability of the company, a results-oriented, overreaching question was asked. Next was to design. In order to realize the dream, an organizational system needed to be implemented in order to use the abilities of the company effectively. Finally was destiny. Here John confirmed the capability of the system and made the way for sustained momentum and ongoing positive change.
Speaker 1:Module 9. Bringing People to your Side. Leadership in change management involves aligning people with an organization's issue or need, allowing them to see that they are working together toward an important cause. Emotion is defined as a state of feeling, because change in organizations doesn't happen without people. Human elements and emotion cannot be downplayed.
Speaker 1:As an organization works with the appreciative inquiry process, six essential conditions come together in an organization. They liberate personal and organizational power, resulting in a transformation for the people in the organization. 1. Freedom to be known in relationship. The nature of the appreciative inquiry process leads people to feel encouraged to shine as individuals, not just as someone performing a role. 2. Freedom to be heard Through the interview process, individuals gain the freedom to be heard. 3. Freedom to dream. In community, people feel free and safe to share dreams as they dialogue together. 4. Freedom to choose to contribute People feel empowered in an appreciative inquiry environment and assume commitments they might not otherwise undertake. 5. Freedom to act with support. The awareness that others care about their work makes individuals comfortable experimenting with new ideas. 6. Freedom to be positive Suddenly, the environment validates the fact that it is acceptable to have fun. People feel positive and proud of their work. Experiences. A fact is something that is demonstrated to exist or known to have existed. As opposed to the people component, emotion. Facts are straightforward and necessary to measure progress.
Speaker 1:As a change management project shifts into the launch or in-process stage, the change management team must make sure that measurement is ongoing. Two types of measurements include audits and performance measurement systems. Audits and measurement systems provide data to determine the adoption rate of change. They help to determine how many employees are using the new processes or systems, individual or group proficiency levels, who is not engaged with the process or is struggling, and why. Formal quantitative assessment instruments and a review of performance data provide this information. The results allow the change management and or project teams to develop and implement corrective actions, make modifications to the program or use positive results to propel to the project forward. Accountability systems Enhancements should be made to performance evaluation and compensation systems in order to maintain the accountability and credibility of the change. This is important in order to maintain ongoing reinforcement of the changed systems or processes.
Speaker 1:Karen knew that in order to gather support for a change that was soon to be implemented, she must cater to the emotional and logical side of people. People need freedom of emotion to support a cause. Appreciative inquiry ensures that they feel that they have the freedom to be heard, to be positive and to act with support. While the emotional side is important, appealing to the logical side of a person is effective as well. Using the facts behind the change to demonstrate its effectiveness and benefit to the company and to the individual can give someone the understanding and confidence to support a worthwhile cause. Karen used both techniques to gather support and was successful by appealing to both aspects of people.
Speaker 1:Module 10. Building Resiliency. Resiliency is the capacity to absorb high levels of change while maintaining a level of performance and displaying minimal dysfunctional behavior. People who are resilient do two things to reduce their susceptibility to dysfunctional behavior during change, they increase their capacity to absorb shock and they reduce the amount of effort necessary to successfully implement any one change. Resilience isn't an absolute characteristic. Rather, it is a combination of traits of varying degrees in people.
Speaker 1:Resilient people, whom psychologist Daryl Connor terms O-type, perceive more opportunity than non-resilient people do. They approach life as meaningful and as a guiding beacon through the challenges of change. Their optimistic view lets them see each new day as providing a new set of opportunities and choices. They view disruption as a necessary part of adjusting to the challenges of change. In contrast to O-type individuals, d-types perceive danger. They are individuals who use defense mechanisms such as denial, distortion and delusions to deflect change and are reactive. The opposite O-type individuals are proactive and understand when to ask for help. When resilient people are confronted with ambiguity, anxiety and a loss of control that accompanies change, they tend to grow stronger from the experiences rather than allowing themselves to be depleted. Resilient people are more likely to make a quicker and more effective adaptation to change. They are winners critically important in organizations. Resilient people are necessary to foster success during a change. While no person is specifically O-type or D-type, people with O-type characteristics tend to exhibit a high degree of resilience. This allows them to understand that the future contains constantly shifting variables, display willingness to explore paradoxes and stay the course during periods of significant disruption. People shift between sides on a resilience continuum, depending upon the characteristics being exhibited and the change being experienced. One can practice behaviors and steps to become more resilient. Here are some steps leaders and individuals can take to foster resilience 1.
Speaker 1:Develop a more positive worldview and self-concept. Notice what you say to yourself in an unfamiliar situation. Find specific opportunities during challenges you face. Practice turning minuses into pluses. Take a time out during a period of frustration. Look for a positive person to serve as your coach. 2. Maintain a focused sense of purpose for long-term goals and priorities. Explore your value system and identify your personal sense of direction on which you can rely to make choices. Set new priorities when faced with the disruption of change. 3. Use flexible thinking to explore multiple approaches for addressing uncertainty. Switch sides when discussing a topic about which you feel strongly, rather than assuming your first answer is the solution. Suspend judgment if you are in the middle of a change. List three positives and three negatives about a new idea or concept. Be willing to work in an unfamiliar role to learn a different point of view. Identify a person who is a strong, flexible thinker and ask for some coaching.
Speaker 1:4. Use organized, structured approaches when managing ambiguity. Learn to quickly sort information and find patterns in new situations. Use a planner or planning software to keep to-do lists, track plans, commitments and next steps for each change initiative. Break down complex or ambiguous situations into manageable chunks. Find a coach who has strong organizational skills.
Speaker 1:5. Experiment proactively with new approaches and solutions. Choose a small project and experiment with a new approach For a challenge you face. Define the worst-case scenario. List how you would address each risk. Find someone you perceive as a successful risk-taker and discuss your objections and concerns about a change. Try to view a risk associated with a change you are facing as a win-win situation. Determine what you can learn by assuming the risk. Find a coach who excels at proactive experimentation. Dan needed to find a way to make employees more resilient to change, as there were going to be quite a few implemented in a short time. At the paper distribution company, he held a meeting and discussed the steps for an individual to become more adept and adapting to changes. Things like developing a positive view of the world, maintaining a focused sense of purpose, exploring multiple approaches to an uncertainty, using structured approaches in ambiguous situations and experimenting proactively with new solutions and approaches. All of these help the workforce become better suited to the changes, thus remaining productive and effective.
Speaker 1:Module 11. Building Flexibility To be able to make shifts as necessary during a project. Being flexible on personal and social levels is critical for individuals involved in or leading a change. There are two dimensions of flexibility flexible thinking and social flexibility. Flexible thinking People who think flexibly can generate a broad range of thoughts and possible responses without feeling compelled to decide on one response right away. They have a tolerance for ambiguity plus a high level of creativity. This allows them to tackle a problem from many directions. Flexible thinkers enjoy new or complex ideas, are open to varying perspectives and devise creative solutions in order to adapt to change. At a personal level, people who think flexibly supplement their own knowledge with the talents of other people, knowing they themselves cannot have all the answers. They are facile at building networks to freely exchange support and information.
Speaker 1:Social flexibility People with a great degree of social flexibility have a clear sense of their individual strengths and weaknesses. Their self-concept is not easy, threatened as they reach out to others looking for collaboration and working to build social networks. They have no problem reaching out to see where others can add value or in asking others for support. Flexible people are team players, a critical need during a change management initiative. Flexibility allows one to brainstorm more efficiently, bringing a wider range of ideas to a project team. The broad range of solutions brought to the table by a flexible thinker encourages a strong change solution and avoids the potential for inferior solutions that may be generated by people with low levels of social flexibility.
Speaker 1:The following five steps can benefit either a leader or an individual who is dealing with change on a personal or an organizational level. Personal swap sides in a discussion on a topic about which you feel strongly. Social identify colleagues who have a different view than you and ask their opinions. Personal suspend judgment during a change. Don't assume that the first answer is the best or only one. Social if a colleague presents an idea that seems off-base to you, take a step back and try to see the rationale from your colleague's point of view. Personal Practice thinking of paradoxes, both and rather than contradictions either, or Try to generate both positives and negatives about a new idea or concept, rather than focusing exclusively on one or another. Listen to others Social ask colleagues or friends for their opinions about your thoughts regarding a change. Listen completely to their answers and avoid passing judgment on their contributions. Personal offer to work in a role that's unfamiliar to you so you can approach a situation from a different point of view. Social pinpoint a skill you want to learn. Ask someone to help you learn it. Personal find someone who is strong and flexible thinking to serve as your coach. Social identify someone who is adept with social flexibility and ask for coaching. Lynn was a part of the change management team and wanted to understand the employees who are most flexible in order to help others become the same. She found that the most flexible employees were the ones that were team players, something that was very important during times of change. They were also able to brainstorm more effectively and, in turn, are able to bring a wider range of ideas and solutions to the table. Lynn knew the best aspects of a flexible employee and wanted a way to instill those traits in others. She found that following the five steps can benefit anyone who is dealing with change on a personal or an organizational level, and use them to help prepare the company for the changes that were to come.
Speaker 1:Module 12. Wrapping up. Although this workshop is coming to a close, we hope that your journey to improve your change management skills is just beginning. We wish you the best of luck on the rest of your travels. Words from the wise Victor Frankel when we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. Price Pritchett Change always comes bearing gifts. Pauline Arkezer Continuity gives us roots. Change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.