I thought it was a good idea to to start a business blog to supplement the journal articles I write on change management.
(PDF Articles) I trust that some of the issues raised here may be of interest to you to pursue away from this blog of ideas and thoughts. The blogs run in date order with the most recent at the top of this page.
I consider that most of us are moving back and forth in terms of accepting change. I have a simple rule which I follow with any change project when there is ambiguity in the air. I ask are my actions today taking me nearer or further away from the desired change we want to have materialise?
Conversational Psychometrics : Reading others acceptance of Change
I also focus a lot on people and their work style preferences. Because I have spent the last few decades focusing on organisational change and leadership development, the use of psychometrics is second nature to me and I can pretty much assess type through conversation, listening and debating subjects.
Speed of Acceptance
I know that some people will love change and others hate it. It's part of their nature and work style so some people come on board fast - others are more sceptical and need more time to consider options.
Many need to process all the facts while others just know intuitively whether or not it's the right thing to do.
One thing of which we can be certain is some people are real Change Champions and others are Well Poisoners. The latter are those that, for whatever reason, will resist change (often passively, because most resistance is passive not active anyway) and lay traps for others, or actively fuel the grapevine to slow down the rate of acceptance.
This is my Hierarchy of the key Actors & their Acceptance of Change
Change Champions - want to get started right away
Early Adaptors - like what they see, have confidence and want to be involved
Late Adaptors - need a route map, then they take the plunge
Fence Sitters - waiting to see whether it works before committing
Resistors - usually have a negative view, based on their lack of confidence
Well Poisoners - laying traps and generally being cynical
Terrorists - do they own thing despite the overall benefits to the business
It clear that the important issues are converting the negative to the positive, and that's what my life is spent doing!
Is the Pope a Catholic? What do you think? Realistically a key issue for anyone involved in the process of change is to focus on where resistance to the change is greatest you want to see underway. The reality is, that in any change initiative not everyone will be on board all at the same time.
Certainly the management group will display differing levels of commitment depending on their points of view, the past experiences with change projects and remember to factor in their own personal agenda.
Personality of the Top Team
Don't under-estimate the probability that everyone on the management team will have a personal agenda. Whether you like it or not, the blend of personality types on the top team and the degree to which they are optimistic or pessimistic is going to make the road to change quite difficult.
And while you are considering how much commitment you need to have the change start at the top, consider others involved in the process. And don't just consider this group - consider other groups within the business, and their change agendas as well.
It is worth investing time in developing a communications strategy in much the same way a sales person plans a series of sales calls. You have to work on selling the benefits of the change, and ensure that it appeals to the people you are talking through. This does not happen by accident but through a planned series of events and a planned set of formal and informal communications.
Questions on Change
Will they be supportive of the change or not? What's in it for them? Have you or others sold the benefits of the change? Have you painted a broad picture of what will accrue to the business if you change, and what will happen if you don't?
Start with the End in Mind
It's like driving in your rear view mirror. You have to know where you are going to work out the potential roadblocks, and then plan to steer around them to ease progress.
Change Agenda
I always think it's a good idea to plan the change agenda in as much detail as possible, factoring in all contingencies. Thny discretely move from one action to another assessing the relative feedback from the actions taken and asking - are these actions taking me nearer my goal or further away? Consideration of where others are on the Change Curve………… this is something I'll be floating up on my Blog in a few days.
I have badly neglected my Blog as I have been loading up my new website. Its simple, its Philip Atkinson.com
Hey, something I have been committing to latterly is revisiting my ideas on the politics of change and dealing with resistance. These are two themes that will appear in the Blog over February 2008.
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