Organisational Change Essential Reading #3&4

[samvara]

Managed to read and write up almost everything - read Case Study over the weekend rather than before.

1. HBS Case Study: Ericsson: Leading in Times of Change (2007) by Das Narayandas, Daniela Beyersdorfer.


2. Armenakis, A. A. and Harris, S. G. (2002). Crafting a change message to create transformational readiness. Journal of Organisational Change Management, Vol. 15, No.2, pp. 169-183.
 
Change message components: discrepancy (is change needed, gap between current and desired), appropriateness (is the specific change the right one), efficacy (confidence in one's ability to succeed), principal support (resources and commitment), and personal valence (what is in it for me).
Three Change Phases: readiness (become prepared for change and ideally supporters), adoption (implementation and trial), institutionalisation (internalised as norm).
Three change message conveying strategies: persuasive (direct) communication [speeches, letters, memo, newsletters, reports], active participation [building skills and knowledge through involvement and practice, observing, participation], managing internal and external information (making the views of others available) [articles, research, records, speakers]


3. Andrews, J., Cameron, H., and Harris, M. (2008). All change? Managers’ experience of organisational change in theory and practice. Journal of Organisational Change Management, Vol.21, No. 3, pp. 300-314.

Who does it: Shift from single 'hero leader' change agent to senior leaders, middle managers, external consultants and teams (public sector less satisfactory experience than private)
How do they learn it: issue of tacit knowledge vs explicit knowledge. Four learning processes 1. socialisation (managers exchange tacit knowledge, 2. combination (merging explicit with more explicit knowledge), 3. externalisation (make tacit knowledge explicit), 4. internalisation (make explicit knowledge part of knowing and practice - tacit). more of 3. & 4. required
Organisational theory: issue of theory versus practice. ...to be honest in reading this section mostly I find myself thinking 'you wankers' which is not entirely helpful but does reflect how I feel about articles reporting a range of theoretical approaches without any conclusion or comments.
Impact of study: better understanding of drivers and context, increased motivation to pursue change despite obstacles, ability to communicate understanding to others. Linking theory to real life application in study context valuable. Broad theory more useful than particular techniques. Confidence!

4. Clayton, M. Christensen, C.L., Marx, M., Stevenson, H., Beer, M. Eisenstat, R.A., Spector, B., Pascale, R.T., Sternin ,J., What You Really Need to Know About Change (HBR Article Collection)

The Tools of Cooperation and Change: You have many tools at your disposal - including vision, coercion, and new performance measurement systems. Use any of these under the wrong conditions, and your change effort falls flat. How to know when to use which tool? Gauge how strongly your people agree on 1) where the organisation should go and 2) how it should get there. Then select tools based on the nature of their agreement.
Why Change Programs Don't Produce Change: Change starts in your organisation - with unit managers creating ad hoc arrangements to solve concrete problems. Your role in this process? Articulate the company's desired general direction to managers, without dictating solutions. Then, after managers have transformed their units, spread lessons learned throughout your company.
Your Company's Secret Change Agents: Need additional suggestions for firing up the grass-roots enthusiasm that fuels change? Look around your organisation for "positive deviants" - people already doing things in radically different, and better, ways. Make these deviants evangelists of their own innovative practices. Identify them as the problem solvers with the answers. Avoid coopting their practices and imposing them yourself on other groups who are struggling.

5. Kotter, J.P. & Schlesinger, L.A. (2008). Choosing Strategies for Change. Harvard Business Review. July-August. 130-139.

Analyse and consider situational factors. Determine how much and what kind of resistance to expect, assess your power relative to resisters, who should design change? How urgent is change? For example, to avert imminent crisis, change quickly - even if that intensifies resistance.
Determine the Optimal Speed of Change. Proceed slowly if (1) intense resistance (2) low power (3) need others to design and implement change. To lead change, tailor your strategies to the types of resistance you'll encounter. Four most common reasons to resist: desire not the lose something of value (use negotiation, offer incentives), misunderstanding the change (education), belief change does not make sense (education), and low tolerance for change (training and emotional support). Change initiatives often backfire because managers apply one-size-fits-all approaches. For example, they attempt to combat resistance by involving employees in the initiative's design even when the employees don't have the information needed to provide useful input.

6. Marks, M. (2007) ‘A framework for facilitating adaptation to organizational transition’, Journal of Organisational Change Management, Vol. 20, No. 5: 721 – 739.

   Empathy: Letting people know leadership acknowledges that things have been difficult and, for at least awhile longer, will continue to be difficult. Acknowledging the emotional realities of transition. Raising awareness of transition dynamics and the adaptation process. Using forums, ceremonies and symbols to end the old
   Engagement: Creating understanding of and support for the need to end the old and accept new organizational realities. Crafting communication for the transition situation. Involving people in prioritising work. Diagnosing and eliminating barriers to adaptation.
   Energy: Getting people excited about the new organizational realities and supporting them in realizing them. Clarifying a vision of a new and better organization. Creating opportunities for public reflection and short-term wins. Providing people with emotional support.
   Enforcement: Solidifying a fresh set of perceptions, expectations and behaviours to help people cope with their newly altered work situation. Involving people in bringing the post-transition vision to life. Aligning systems and operating standards with post-transition realities. Tracking the development of the desired post-transition organization. 

7. Pietersen, W. (2002) ‘The Mark Twain Dilemma: The Theory and Practice of Change Leadership’, Journal of Business Strategy, September/October 2002.

Mark Twain: You know, I'm all for progress. It's change I object to.
FUD Factor: Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt - to change is to suffer loss of several kinds, loss of certainty, comfort of known and familiar. Must persuade that gains will be greater than losses. Driving force for change must be greater than FUD.
1. Create a simple, compelling statement of the case for change.
2. Communicate constantly and honestly.
3. Maximise participation.
4. If all else fails, remove those who resist.
5. Generate short-term wins.
6. Set a shining example.

8. Waddell, D.M. Cummings, T.G. & Worley, C.G. (2011) Organisational Change: Development & Transformation, 4th Edition, Cengage Learning Australia.
   • Chapter 5: The process of organisational change
   • Chapter 7: OD Interventions: People and process
   • Chapter 9: Organisation Transformation and change
   • Chapter10: Change in a chaotic and unpredictable environment 

    

9. Kotter, J.P. (1996) Leading Change. Harvard Business School Press.
   • Chapter 5: Developing the Vision and Strategy

   Imaginable: Conveys a picture of what the future will look like.
   Desirable: Appeals to the long-term interests of employees, stockholders, and others who have a stake in the enterprise.
   Feasible: Comprises realistic, attainable goals
   Focused: Is clear enough to provide guidance in decision making
   Flexible: is general enough to allow individual initiative and alternative responses in light of changing conditions.
   Communicable: Is easy to communicate, can be successfully explained within five minutes.

   • Chapter 6: Communicating the Change Vision

   Don't underestimate the magnitude of the task.
   Keep it simple
   Use Metaphors, Analogies, Examples
   Use many different forums
   Repeat, repeat, repeat
   Walk the talk, or lead by example
   Listen and be listened to

   • Chapter 7: Empowering employees for broad-based actions

   Remove structural barriers
   Provide needed training
   Align systems to vision

   • Chapter 8: Generating the short-term wins

   Plan, plan and plan.
   Short-term wins reassure people you're on the right path and raise morale.
   Plan them

My BRAIN