Sample Article

Managing Purposeful Change

Helping People Through Organizational Change

This article is based upon a chapter of the author’s best-selling book "The Change Agents' Handbook: A Survival Guide for Quality Improvement Champions". It covers the following topics:- understanding why people decide to resist or to embrace change; learning to recognize the typical patterns of behaviour within groups; and knowing how to direct scarce resources in order to support the change process successfully.

To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.
– Winston Churchill

Individual Responses to Change

Picture the scene when the General Manager of an organization first begins to share his ideas for change with the top management team. He suggests...

"We need to improve our results or we may not survive. Why don't we try working more as a team, really focusing on the needs of our customers, and by giving our people the knowledge and tools they need to do the job?"

How do his senior managers react to this type of statement? Here are some typical immediate reactions – although these may be unspoken.

"Sounds like empowerment! There's no way I'm going to let my people start calling the shots – after all the years it's taken me to get to this position. What are senior managers for anyway? Include me out."
"Sounds great. We should have begun to think like this years ago. When can we start?"
"Oh no, not another crazy idea! The last General Manager had one every month. This one's been smoking dope – or been to a conference."
"I'd love to see this happen, but there's no chance. He will never get everyone to cooperate on this one. I don't want to be the dummy out in front like the last time."
"Will this upset the superb new unit-pricing system we finally finished implementing last week?"
"We should stick with what we know works. It's time to clear out some dead wood and show everyone we're serious about getting results."
"Sounds like an opportunity to do a ton of training! We could have the grandest training program in the land. Lead on!"
"Next we'll be having group love-ins and discussing our innermost feelings. I hate it when people bring up emotional stuff at work. Let's just get on with running the business!"
"Our only problem is our margins – fix that and we're home free."
"How is this going to fix the defective woggle-sprocket that's killing our sales right now?"
"Can we break for lunch soon? I'm dying for a smoke."
"Good for him! This is a courageous move and I think he might pull it off. Include me in."

Emotions like these begin to erupt as soon as people learn about the possibility of some type of change, and this is equally true at all levels in the organization.

Change as a Personal Experience

For the process to succeed, the active support of many individuals will be required, starting with members of the senior management group. Let's explore the reasons why any individual may or may not choose to come along.

Three key factors must be present for a meaningful change to take place:

Motivation – Some good reason to give up the status quo
Vision – A clear and practical vision of the desired future state
Next steps – An understanding of the next steps required to progress toward the vision

These factors may be thought of in terms of a mathematical equation:

Change = Motivation x Vision x Next Steps

Since the three key factors are multiplied together, if any one is missing, little change will take place. For example, there may be considerable motivation (such as discontent with the status quo) and a very clear vision of the desired future. However, if people don't know what to do next then little or no progress will be made.

It is in the organization's best interests to ensure that every individual receives the opportunity to understand and to participate in the change. Here are some of the principal ways of securing their involvement.

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