Organisational Change Essential Reading #1&2

[samvara]

Write up the readings as part of study process.

1. HBS Case Study: Comcast New England: A Journey of Organizational Transformation (2008) by Michael Beer, Anita Arun. 23 pages. Paywall USD $6.95

Group Case Study Assignment - we're doing questions 2. What was the reality which the organisation faced? and 5. Using the change models from the MSC Unit describe the key steps in the change process within Comcast New England. What were the strengths and challenges of the process?
Comcast’s November 2002 acquisition of AT&T Broadband.
[Kevin] Casey explained his first thoughts when he took charge of the newly acquired business:
When we acquired this company, I quickly came to the conclusion that we had to reinvent this business. The company was going backwards in terms of market share, employees did not feel empowered in their jobs, and systems were not conducive to supporting the execution of the business. The organizational model did not support the outcomes that the business plan called for, vis-à-vis Comcast. 

2. Kotter J.P. (2007) Leading Change Why Transformation Efforts Fail: Harvard Business Review.
Error 1: Not Establishing a Great Enough Sense of Urgency
Error 2: Not Creating a Powerful Enough Guiding Coalition
Error 3: Lacking a Vision
Error 4: Undercommunicating the Vision by a Factor of Ten
Error 5: Not Removing Obstacles to the New Vision
Error 6: Not Systematically Planning for, and Creating, Short-Term Wins
Error 7: Declaring Victory Too Soon
Error 8: Not Anchoring Changes in the Corporation’s Culture


3. Kotter, J.P. (1996) Leading Change. Harvard Business School Press.
   • Chapter 1: Transforming organisations: why firms fail

   See reading 2. Leading Change Why Transformation Efforts Fail

   • Chapter 2: Successful Change and the force behind it

   The Globalization of Markets and Competition
   The Eight-Stage Change Process
   The Importance of Sequence
   Projects within Projects
   Management versus Leadership: M = planning, budgeting, organizing, staffing, controlling & problem solving. L = creating organizations and/or adapting them to changing circumstances
   The Future: rate of change in environment increasing

   • Chapter 3: Establishing a sense of urgency

   Complacency: 1. no highly visible crisis, 2. environment screamed 'success', not 'issues!' 3. metrics inappropriate, 4. org goals too narrow, 5. control systems rigged to support goals, 6. performance feedback just as rigged, 7. enterprising staff punished, 8. denial; not just a river in Egypt, 9. senior management hypnotising ppl with 'happy talk'
   Pushing up Urgency Level: 1. Create a crisis by allowing bad stuff to become visible, 2. Eliminate obvious comforting signs of excess, 3. Set targets that can't be met by business as usual, 4. Broaden performance measures, 5. Distribute customer satisfaction and financial performance information more broadly, 6. Ensure contact with unsatisfied customers / suppliers / shareholders, 7. User consultants to force relevant data and honest discussions, 8. Stop 'happy talk' 9. Bombard with info on future opportunities.
   Role of Crises: great for creating urgency, also tends to suck resources
   Role of Middle and Lower-Level Managers: often key players, will need to do much of the work in Ch. 1 and will need enough autonomy.
   How Much Urgency is Enough? Maybe 75% of management and virtually all top executives

   • Chapter 4: Creating the guiding coalition

     Cult of CEO is not the answer, Low-credibility committees aren't either.
     Need Leadership and Guiding Team if fast change is required.
     Putting Together Guiding Coalition: Qualities you want a good spread of include 1. Position power, 2. Expertise, 3. Credibility, 4. Leadership
     Avoid: Giant egos and people who generate mistrust - either convert, sack or neutralise them in some way.
     Build the team, build trust and a common goal.

4. Waddell, D.M. Cummings, T.G. & Worley, C.G. (2011) Organisational Change Development and Transformation, 4th Edition, Cengage Learning Australia.
   • Chapter 2: Understanding Change (planned change)

   Lewin's change model - Unfreezing, Moving and Refreezing.
   Action Research Model - Cyclical process 1. Problem identification, 2. Consultation, 3. Data gathering, 4. Feedback, 5. Joint diagnosis, 6. Joint action planning, 7. Action, 8. Post action data gathering.
   Positive Model - focuses on the positive. 1. Initiate inquiry, 2. Inquiry into best practices, 3. Discover themes, 4. Envision preferred future, 5. Design and deliver ways to future.
   General Model - 1. Entering and contracting, 2. Diagnosing, 3. Planning and implementing, 4. Evaluating and institutionalising.
   Different Types - 1. Magnitude of change, 2. Degree of organisation

   • Chapter 3: Leadership and the role of the change agent

   Who is the Organisational Development (OD) practitioner? 1. Clarifying the Org issue, 2. Determining the relevant client, 3. Selecting and OD practitioner.
   Developing a contract. 1. Mutual expectations, 2. Time and Resources, 3. Ground Rules.
   Skipped a fair bit of stuff here.

   • Chapter 4: Managing resistance and organisational culture (chapters are not included in the readings pack, please see textbook)

     Resistance to change - some sources of generalised resistance 1. Reluctance to lose control, 2. Cognitive rigidity, 3. Lack of psychological resilience, 4. Intolerance to adjustment period, 5. Preference for low levels of stimulation, 6. Reluctance to give up old habits.
     Managerial responses - 1. Empathy and support, 2. Communication, 3. Participation and involvement.
     Change agent competencies - 1. Education and communication, 2. Participation and involvement, 3. Facilitations of support, 4. Negotiation and agreements, 5. Manipulation and co-options, 6. Explicit and implicit coercion.
     Cultural context - 1. Context (time orientation), 2. Power distance, 3. Uncertainty avoidance, 4. Achievement orientation, 5. Individualism. p119

5. Bridges, W, & Mitchell Bridges, S. Leading Transition: A New Model for Change Leader to Leader. 16 (Spring 2000): 30-36.

"Transition is the state that change puts people into. The change is external (the different policy, practice, or structure that the leader is trying to bring about), while transition is internal (a psychological reorientation that people have to go through before the change can work)." p31
Saying goodbye. The first requirement is that people have to let go of the way that things—and, worse, the way that they themselves—used to be. Shifting into neutral. Even after people have let go of their old ways, they find themselves unable to start anew. Moving forward ... that third phase requires people to begin behaving in a new way, and that can be disconcerting—it puts one’s sense of competence and value at risk.
The Marathon Effect: when the leader gets too far ahead and doesn't give people enough time/space to make their own way.
Seven step method for working through change process: Describe, Plan, Understand, Let Go, Help people Let Go, Temporary Solutions (bridges), Model the New.
Coaching for Change: often required as leaders don't come with these abilities inborn

6. Hughes, M. (2007) The Tools and Techniques of change management, Journal of Change Management, 7 (1), 37-49. Pages 14 Paywall USD $36.00

Annoyingly formal with obscure language.
"This paper seeks to bridge a perceived gap between practitioner emphasis upon change management tools and techniques and academic emphasis upon change management theories, models and concepts."

7. Landrum, N.E. &. Gardner, C.L. (2005) Using integral theory to effect strategic change: Vol.18: 247–258. Journal of Organizational Change Management. Emerald Group Publishing. Paywall USD $3.99 for non-printable 24hr access

Oh God it hurts me. Irritating.
"The purpose of this paper is to examine the need for integration of Wilber's all levels, all quadrants (AQAL) approach into the strategy of a corporation."


8. IBM Study (2010) Capitalising on Complexity: Insights from the Global Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Study. IBM Corporation.
"The vast majority of CEOs anticipate even greater complexity in the future, and more than half doubt their ability to manage it.
CEOs believe creativity is the most important leadership quality.
The most successful organisations co-create products and services with customers, and integrate customers into core processes.
Better performers manage complexity on behalf of their organisations, customers and partners."


9. Nicholson, J. & Nairn, A. 2006. The Manager of the 21st Century: 2020 Vision. Boston Consulting Group. Innovation and Business Skills Australia. PDF 2MB

"Maximise Opportunities in a Changing World
Maintain an international perspective and be continual learners
Be flexible and able to move confidently between different global markets and cultures
Reflect the needs and preferences of the ageing Baby Boomers in organisational structures and customer services
Manage Diversity in a Changing Workplace
Achieve a balance between the management styles required to work with three generations within a single workplace
Master staff performance measures based on outputs rather than inputs
Gain insight into the motivations of a diverse workforce, and be creative in designing the right incentives to attract and retain talented staff
Respond to Changing Times with a Changing Mindset
Create work environments where talented teams, not just talented individuals, can flourish
Maintain specialist skills in addition to general management skills. Value functional, industry and technical expertise
Promote and practice a work/life balance" p30

Gah, brain.