Handling Change
(Originally published on the OUBS Blog)
Now it’S your job to move things forward and get the change process under way in your area of responsibility. There is no one best strategy.
Five change strategies were described by Thurley and Wirdenius (1973):
\- Directive strategies: management’s right to manage change; fast; valuable info lost, resistance
\- Expert strategies: management of change as problem solving; special project team because of expertise and fast; not accepted and resistance
\- Negotiating strategies: bargaining about change; willingness to negotiate; may take longer
\- Educative strategies: managing change means winning hearts and minds; persuasion, education, training and selection; positive commitment; take much longer; takes more resources.
\- Participative strategies: we’re all involved in making the changes; widely accepted; learning; more skills in the decision; opportunities for staff; long, complex, resource intensive
There are several factors that help decide which route to take.
\- Urgency of the situation
\- Degree of opposition
\- Power base
\- Need for information and commitment
You should also see that change does not always generate irreconcilable positions and conflicts, and that debate and opposition are not necessarily band may lead to improvements in the proposed changes.
Here are some of the main reasons why people resist change by Kanter (cited by Lorenz, 1985):
\- Loss of control
\- Loss of face
\- Loss of identity
\- Loss of competence
\- Excessive personal uncertainty
\- Surprise
\- More work
\- Past resentments
\- Unintended consequences
\- Real threats
Resulting strategies are:
\- Avoid unnecessary change
\- Communication and education
\- Participation and involvement
\- Support and development
\- Negotiation and bargaining
\- Building coalitions and alliances
\- Manipulation and co-option (buying off of the outspoken opposition)
\- Explicit and implicit coercion
It seems that manipulation and co-option is just how it is done. Trust versus control.
The best a manager can do is to be as clear and honest as possible with those involved about what has already been decided and about what choices are still to be made or can be influenced, even if this means people are only involved in aspects of the implementation, rather than the change decision itself.
You will also want to encourage a positive involvement and commitment to the change process. But:
\- what are the risks of over-commitment
\- is full agreement necessary
\- should all opposition be overcome
Commitment planning can be done via a chart used to show the level of commitment:
\- Opposed or not committed
\- Let
\- Help
\- Make
O would indicate their current and X their needed position
You might find it useful to:
\- use rewards
\- treat immediate problems
\- be a role model
\- use peer group pressure
\- encourage sharing of positive changes
You should also think about creating a climate for change. Kanter et al (1992) said that you should take the risk of creating a culture and an environment in which everyone in the organisation can initiate and explore changes and innovations.
It is also important to evaluate and monitor change.
A checklist:
Preparing for change
\- maintain a climate of change
\- be alert to problems
\- careful diagnosis
\- consider driver and restraining forces
\- decide on involvement
\- do benefits outweigh costs
\- which strategy
Implementing change
\- decide on goals
\- plan the change and draw a timetable
\- remember cost and look at resources
\- monitor
\- keep a reserve for unexpected things
\- indentify resistance
\- consider methods to lower resistance
Consolidate change
\- monitor
\- modify
\- reinforce and consolidate