This Document Contains Chapters 11 to 12 Chapter 11 Sustaining Change versus Initiative Decay Learning Objectives On completion of this chapter you should be able to: • Understand the causes of initiative decay – threats to the sustainability of change • Distinguish between change initiatives that are “blameworthy,” and should not be sustained, and those that are “praiseworthy.” • Identify and apply actions that can contribute to the sustainability of change. • Understand the pitfalls that can arise when seeking to sustain change. Chapter Summary Images How Sustaining Change is Viewed Director It is the responsibility of the change manager to design the change process and direct people to comply, to ensure that planned objectives are achieved. Navigator The change manager designs the change process to fit the context, recognizing that modifications will be required and that the outcome may not be as intended. Caretaker Change outcome will be determined primarily by contextual factors, and not by management intervention. Coach The change manager’s main role is to help the others to develop the capabilities necessary to achieve the intended outcomes of the change. Interpreter The change manager develops understanding of the meaning and significance of the changes and what will count as successful outcomes. Nurturer Change outcomes are in constant flux, and are largely beyond management control. Once implemented, change sometimes “fails to stick.” That is, despite initial signs of the change having been successful it has not become sufficiently embedded that it become “the new normality” and old ways re-emerge. This chapter deals with the causes of such “initiative decay” and addresses what actions can be taken to reduce the risk of such decay occurring. Factors that can make initiative decay more likely include: • The people who have been the driving force behind the change move to new positions/challenges/organizations • Accountability for making sure that the change is working becomes diffuse • Staff familiar with the new ways of working are lost through turnover • New recruits bring with them the old ways of working • The rationale for the change becomes unclear as contextual conditions change • New managers want to drive their own agendas • Powerful people who were never supportive of the change take opportunities to undermine the change • Resourcing of the change runs out before the change is fully embedded • Other matters take priority for attention and resources • Staff suffer initiative fatigue and enthusiasm for the change falters Failed change is not always bad. For example, sometimes it becomes clear over time that the proposed change was not a good idea and for it to fail benefits the organization. Other times, the failed change is a “productive failure” in that much is leaned from the process that benefits the organization. Distinguishing “praiseworthy” from “blame-worthy’ failures is also important if people are to be encouraged to try new things, that is, be innovative. Actions that can help sustain change include: • Redesigning roles • Redesigning reward systems • Linking selection decisions to change objectives • Acting consistently with advocated actions (“walk the talk”) • Encouraging voluntary acts of initiative • Measuring progress • Celebrating “en route” • Fine-tuning At the same time that they are seeking to consolidate change, managers should also be alert to the following: • Unanticipated outcomes are to be expected • Measurement limitations • Not “declaring victory” too soon • The perils that may be associated with escalation of commitment Sidebars in the Text The following provides a brief summary of the key points in each sidebar. Table Heading Page Momentum Busters • Using the example of attempted organizational change in the U. S. Postal Service, this vignette identifies causes of the inability for change to be sustained. 357 Productive Failure at McDonald’s • Provides an illustration of the argument that a new venture which fails to achieve financial success still has the potential to be an important learning experience • McDonald’s small and localized (Switzerland), experimental entry into the hotel market did not succeed financially but the costs of failure were small and the initiative communicated to staff that the company was prepared to support and experiment with new ideas. 360 Sustaining Successful Change Means Permanently Changing Mindsets • Presents the argument that sustained change only occurs when a change of mindset amongst organizational members occurs • Specifies four conditions for a change of mindset. 361 Busting the Momentum Busters • Identifies four “hard lessons” learnt from the experience of unsustained change. 362 Alan Lafley’s Moment of Truth • Provides an example of acting consistently with advocated actions (walking the talk): having stressed that innovation was the lifeblood of P&G, CEO Lafley committed significant funds to an innovation project even though the company had just missed earnings targets • The test of how serious a company is about a particular activity often comes when it’s not easy to find the funds for that activity. The symbolic message communicated by Lafley’s action was that the company is serious about innovation; that “innovation” talk is not just some peripheral issue to be jettisoned whenever times get tough. 364 Celebrating Success at Sandvik • This vignette provides an example of celebrating success and also shows that such celebration can also be used as an opportunity to communicate the message that there is still work to be done. 366 Change Metrics • The metrics chosen by an organization communicates their real values to all stakeholders. One tool for embedding change is through the selection of appropriate metrics that will enhance business processes and activities for the required results. 366-367 Fine Tuning at Ford • Fine-tuning needs to be sold to stakeholders as a laudable refinement of the change process otherwise is may be misinterpreted as evidence of the ill-advised nature of the change. 368 Unanticipated Consequences at FedEx • Expect the unexpected; even the most expertly managed change process cannot guarantee that all will go according to plan. 369 Sustainable Organizations • Presents the argument that the sustainability of organizations is dependent on sustainable employment practices. 372 Exercises and Answers EXERCISE 11.1 (p.373) A Balanced Set of Measures Purpose If change occurs in an organization it is important to be able to determine whether it has been a success or a failure. Appropriate metrics are one way of monitoring the progress of change, and the metrics that are used will impact the activities in the business. Students are encouraged to start thinking through the type of metrics that could be used to measure change in an organization and to learn how to select the most appropriate one(s) for a given situation and desired outcome. Options/Techniques/Requirements Format: • Individually or in groups of three to four students Materials: • Chapter 11 Time Required: 10-20 minutes for an individual; 20-30 minutes where group discussion is required. Add 20-40 minutes if individuals or groups are to report back to the class as a whole. Undergraduate: This exercise may need to be adapted if the majority of the students in the class do not have any work experience. Students may need to be given a list of metrics for the exercise. The instructor demonstrates how to allocate one or two metrics into the “type” categories and then the students are to allocate the rest. The exercise could be extended for this group, by requiring an explanation as to why they placed the measures in a specific “type”(s). MBA/Executive: Many students with professional experience (and in particular positions in management), will be used to working with metrics in the workplace. Nonetheless, it may still help to give one or two examples in the class before they attempt the exercise. Potential Problems and Helpful Hints • Undergraduate students may not be conversant with metrics in a business. It may help to have a class discussion about business metrics and have the students (with the instructor’s help) work out a number of business metrics that are appropriate for measuring change. These metrics are then used by the groups for the exercise. Debriefing Business metrics are an important part of forming a view on the degree of success of a change. They also provide a means for assessing performance for those accountable for specific activities in an organization. Students should be encouraged to think through the appropriateness of the metric they are using. Class discussion can extend to cover the effect of inappropriate metrics. Guidelines for Answers to Questions The answers to the questions in the exercises will need to be assessed according to the experience and education level of the students. It is helpful to consider appropriate measures of success for a change initiative. Thinking of a change initiative that is currently underway in your organization (or a change that is taking place in an organization with which you are familiar), identify the measures that you think should be applied, and list them in the following table. By ticking the appropriate column, note which type of measure you have identified. It May be possible to classify any one measure in more than one category; brand image for example, may be lagging, external, and non-cost.. Answer: Students need to assess the metric and determine the “type” that it is appropriate for, and explain why it is in certain “types” and not others. Measures of Success for a Change Initiative: If the measures that you are proposing do not include all six types of measures, you need to explain why the missing types are not included. If you cannot give a good explanation, you may need to proposes additional measures.. Answer: Students should select a number of business measures for this exercise, and then allocate them into the different “type” of metrics, e.g. brand image, customer satisfaction, call response rate, staff turnover, market share, ROI. In the provided measures, all six types are covered. The missing categories (e.g., specific internal measures or cost measures) may be less relevant depending on the change initiative’s focus. If further details or new measures are needed, consider adding: • Internal (additional): Employee training progress. • Cost (additional): Cost savings from process improvements. This ensures comprehensive coverage of all measurement types. EXERCISE 11.2 (p.373) Treating Initiative Decay Purpose To focus student attention on why a change introduced into an organization may fail to be sustained. Earlier in this chapter, we identified “the top ten” causes of initiative decay. Which of these factors apply to the recent changes in your organization? What additional factors, not mentioned here, could cause initiative decay in your organization? Considering each cause in turn, what treatment would you prescribe in order to avoid or reduce the decay? Options/Techniques/Requirements Format: • Individually or in groups of three to four students Materials: • Chapter 11 Time Required: 10-20 minutes for an individual; 20-30 minutes where group discussion is required. Add 20-30 minutes if individuals or groups are to report back to the class as a whole. Undergraduate: This exercise may not be appropriate as an individual exercise or for small group discussion if the majority of the students in the class do not have any work experience. In this situation the exercise could be used for a whole-of-class discussion using one or two examples provided by students as the focal point. Alternatively, the exercise could be linked to a case study provided to the students.. MBA/Executive: Many students with professional experience (and in particular positions in management), will be likely to have an example they can contribute. However, it may help if the exercise is extended to cover organizations they have worked in in the past or are familiar with and organizations with which they are familiar. Potential Problems and Helpful Hints • Undergraduate students having insufficient work experience but note above suggestions for how to use this exercise in this situation. Debriefing Identify the range of prescribed treatments identified by students and, if time allows, discuss the practicability of each (or some) of the suggestions. Guidelines for Answers to Questions Earlier in this chapter, we identified ‘the top ten’ causes of initiative decay. Which of these factors apply to change in your organization? Considering each cause in turn, what treatment would you prescribe in order to avoid or to reduce the decay? Cause Suggested treatment 1. initiators move on Design career development and rewards policies to motivate and retain key change agents. Choose successors with similar competencies and aspirations. 2. accountability becomes diffuse Establish clear project management and line management responsibilities; ensure appropriate and visible rewards for those involved in driving changes. 3. knowledge lost through staff turnover Develop retention strategies to minimize such loss; adopt a ‘buy back’ policy to involve leavers in induction, training and ‘master classes’ for new staff. 4. old habits imported with new recruits Strengthen the induction and training regime for new recruits, ensuring high familiarity with the organization’s approach to new working practices. 5. change triggers no longer visible Launch a ‘public relations’ campaign that keeps those pressures in the forefront of staff thinking. Identify new reinforcing issues and pressures. 6. new managers with their own agendas Fine, but also ensure that new appointments have explicit remits to develop and not dismantle particular initiatives introduced by their predecessors. 7. powerbrokers blocking progress When reason fails, develop a ‘counter-counter-implementation’ strategy to reduce their influence, marginalize their positions, neutralize their tactics. 8. pump-priming funds have run out Start to revise budget allocations well in advance, so that extra costs relating to new working practices can be absorbed gradually in a phased manner. 9. other priorities diverting attention Develop a time-phased change implementation strategy, with relative stability between radical shifts; do not divert resources until initiatives are embedded. 10. initiative fatigue, lack of enthusiasm Treat the ‘bicycle effect’ in which loss of forward momentum leads to a crash. Relaunch with new focus, themes, goals. Sell the benefits, clarify WIIFT. EXERCISE 11.3 (pp.374-379) The Challenger and Columbia Shuttle Disasters 1. What aspects of NASA practice revealed following the Columbia disaster suggest that the changes that were recommended following the Challenger disaster were not sustained? Answer: The sustainability of change shows how change has “stuck” in an organization. By analyzing the situation at NASA, the difficulties in this process are highlighted for students. Some aspects of NASA practice that have not changed are: • Post-Challenger NASA underwent management reforms but the main elements that needed to change remained the same. These included the culture that was not overly concerned with safety and instead conformed to schedule pressure. • There were still organizational barriers that stifled communication and overlooked differences of opinions. NASA management was still not listening to dissenting and minority voices. • There were informal decision making processes that were still in place that ran outside the official chain of command and disregarded the organization’s rules. • NASA was still dependent on federal funds, and therefore there were external controls that were beyond the influence of NASA management. • They were still not basing their assumptions of safety on scientific proof, but rather on what they chose to believe. • The vision for the organization was being facilitated through a “Faster, Cheaper, Better” program. The focus did not appear to consider the key areas for change. 2. This chapter has discussed actions that can be taken to sustain change. In your judgement, which of the following would have been most useful to NASA after the Challenger disaster Answer: a. Redesign roles. To tighten controls at NASA they created task groups after the Challenger disaster to find and track hazards relating to flight safety. The workforce was also downsized and many of the shuttle programs responsibilities were outsourced. In light of the Columbia disaster it can be assumed that this redesign was not as effective as was originally hoped. b. Redesign reward system. If the reward system was redesigned in any way it is not addressed in this case study. The external funding for NASA, however, was still provided by federal sources and to truly sustain change at NASA this may be an area that needs to be addressed. c. Link selection decisions to organizational objectives. This issue is not directly mentioned in the case study but could be a factor when choosing sub-contractors for NASA. d. Walk the talk. NASA staff and management thought they had sustained the changes which would increase the importance of safety in their culture. However, the latter remained a “blind spot” in the organization. NASA set up quality and safety assurance programs with an increased number of personnel dedicated to this area. However, there was still insufficient deference given to technicians and others who highlighted safety issues which impacted the cost or schedule of NASA operations. e. Encourage voluntary acts of initiative. It appeared that voluntary acts of were still not encouraged at NASA. Communication feedback was still not being heard, and the lack of consideration for safety was still the source of the problem. More effective feedback channels may be needed here. f. Measure progress. The measurements of progress at NASA were still based on cost reductions and did not reflect the desired change – to increase the safety of spacecraft and their crew. As there were no specific measures of change in the target area the change does not appear to have been consolidated at NASA. g. Celebrate en route. This issue is not mentioned in the case study. h. Fine-tune. This issue is not mentioned in the case study. 3. This chapter has explained “words of warning” in terms of what to be alert to in regard to sustaining change. Which of the following do you see as most applicable to NASA? Answer: a. Recognize productive, praiseworthy failures. By not recognizing, changing and sustaining on the failures that were uncovered in the wake of the Challenger disaster, NASA failed to recognize productive failures. They were unable to build on and redesign their internal systems to learn from past experiences. This resulted in an almost identical accident that occurred for similar reasons 20 years later. b. Expect some unanticipated outcomes. The nature of the work at NASA means that unanticipated outcomes generally equal death of the crew of a space shuttle – as with the Challenger and Columbia disasters. c. Beware the limitations of measurement. The management team at NASA did not appear to be aware of the limitations of the measurements for change that were being used. They focused on the financial and cost efficiency side of their work and de-humanized the process. d. Beware premature declaration of victory.. One of the cultural traits at NASA was not to retest various parts of the shuttles but rely on previous engineering tests. By assuming that the past evidence was sufficient, NASA’s team declared victory too soon and overlooked important safety issues. e. Beware the escalation of commitment. NASA’s commitment to a large number of scheduled flights that were unrealistic caused them to continually escalate their commitment without considering the inherent problems. Chapter 12 The Effective Change Manager: What Does It Take? Learning Objectives On completion of this chapter you should be able to: • Recognize the nature and significance of the contribution of change managers at all levels of the organization, regardless of their formal roles or responsibilities. • Appreciate the challenges and rewards that accompany performing a change management role. • Identify the competencies in terms of skills, knowledge. and other attributes that are ideally required in order to be an effective change manager. • Understand the significance of political skills to the role and effectiveness of change managers. • Develop an action plan for improving your own change management capabilities. Chapter Summary This chapter begins with a discussion of the various sorts of change leaders that can exist in an organization and the diverse nomenclature that characterizes this diversity – change manager, change champion, change implementer, etc. The chapter then discusses the role that middle managers can play in the change process. They are presented as a potentially very valuable but often underutilized resource rather than as they have often traditionally been presented as a conservative focus of resistance to change. What follows is a discussion of the nature of the role of change manager with a treatment of how those with the potential to be leaders of change within an organization might be identified leading into a focus on the capabilities that help a person with change management responsibilities be effective. A number of alternative competency models are presented. Particular attention is given to discussing the concept of being “politically skilled”, this term being presented as a way of describing a number of very valuable skills including social astuteness, the capacity to wield interpersonal influence, networking ability, and the capacity to access information. The argument is presented that the notion of political skills in this sense is not referring to anything innately distasteful, rather that it is a way of conceiving of the ability to get things done by having a set of necessary skills. The chapter concludes with a section on the development of change management expertise. Sidebars in the Text The following table provides a brief summary of the key points in each sidebar. Sidebars Page Leading Change from the Middle: How to Win Support for New Ideas • Identifies seven tactics that middle managers use to attract senior managers attention to, and resources for, new initiatives. 388 Kaiser Permanente’s Innovation Consultancy • Provides the example of an organization that set up an internal “innovation consultancy” group to work with staff (“co-designers”) to identify and implement change projects. 389 Who Are Your Most Capable Strategic Change Leaders? • Cites a PricewaterhouseCoopers (2015) study that found that only 8% of senior managers have the strategic leadership capabilities to drive organizational change and that the highest proportion of strategic leaders were women over 55. 392 Case Study: Boosting Factory Yields • Describes the experience of a European manager whose change to a more collaborative style of management led to greater workforce engagement in identifying areas where performance improvement could be achieved. 393 Forget Nice • Presents the view that managing change requires a certain level of toughness and that therefore some people may be “too nice” to be trusted with the job. 394 The Change Manager’s Experience • A reflection on the job of being a change manager 394 Look In • Argues that as well as being outward-looking, leaders of change need to be inward-looking as well, that is, be aware of their own beliefs, hopes, fears, and desires as these internal qualities may need to be managed. 396 A Great Intimidator at Work • Provides students with some questions to answer after viewing part of the film The Devil Wears Prada with its focus on the management style of the editor of a famous fashion magazine. 402 Case Study: Closing a Plant • Provides an example how a plant manager in France managed the change process associated with the closing of the plant. 403 Age and Treachery: The Inescapable Reality of the Politics of Change • Provides an example of the negative effects that can follow from a level of naivity about the significance of organizational politics. 404 Take a Moment and Think About a Leader • Proposes the importance of political skill for an organizational leader 406 Skills of the Change Architect: How to Block Interference • Describes eight tactics that can be used to try to counter those who through either their indifference or resistance are undermining a change. 407 The Gang of Four: Middle versus Senior Management • Identifies the tactics used by a group of middle managers to influence the nature of an organizational change. 408 Machiavelli’s Memorandum • A comment on the use of the label “Machiavellian. 409 Exercises and Answers EXERCISE 12.1 (p. 412-413) Networking: How Good Are You? Purpose If change occurs in an organization it is important to be able to determine whether it has been a success or a failure. Appropriate metrics are one way of monitoring the progress of change, and the metrics that are used will impact the activities in the business. Students are encouraged to start thinking through the type of metrics that could be used to measure change in an organization and to learn how to select the most appropriate one(s) for a given situation and desired outcome. Options/Techniques/Requirements Format: • Individually or in groups of three to four students Materials: • Chapter 11 Time Required: 10-20 minutes for an individual; 20-30 minutes where group discussion is required. Add 20-40 minutes if individuals or groups are to report back to the class as a whole. Undergraduate: This exercise may need to be adapted if the majority of the students in the class do not have any work experience. Students may need to be given a list of metrics for the exercise. The instructor demonstrates how to allocate one or two metrics into the “type” categories and then the students are to allocate the rest. The exercise could be extended for this group, by requiring an explanation as to why they placed the measures in a specific type(s). MBA/Executive: Many students with professional experience (and in particular positions in management), will be used to working with metrics in the workplace. Nonetheless, it may still help to give one or two examples in the class before they attempt the exercise. Potential Problems and Helpful Hints • Undergraduate students may not be conversant with metrics in a business. It may help to have a class discussion about business metrics and have the students (with the instructor’s help) work out a number of business metrics that are appropriate for measuring change. These metrics are then used by the groups for the exercise. Debriefing Business metrics are an important part of forming a view on the degree of success of a change. They also provide a means for assessing performance for those accountable for specific activities in an organization. Students should be encouraged to think through the appropriateness of the metric they are using. Class discussion can extend to cover the effect of inappropriate metrics. Guidelines for Answers to Questions The answers to the questions in the exercises will need to be assessed according to the experience and education level of the students. It is helpful to consider appropriate measures of success for a change initiative. Thinking of a change initiative that is currently underway in your organization (or a change that is taking place in an organization with which you are familiar), identify the measures that you think should be applied, and list them in the following table. By ticking the appropriate column, note which type of measure you have identified. It May be possible to classify any one measure in more than one category; brand image for example, may be lagging, external, and non-cost.. Answer: Students need to assess the metric and determine the type that it is appropriate for, and explain why it is in certain types and not others. For a change initiative underway, identify the following measures: 1. Employee Satisfaction (Internal, Leading, Non-Cost) 2. Customer Retention Rates (External, Lagging, Non-Cost) 3. Process Efficiency Improvements (Internal, Leading, Cost) 4. Revenue Growth (External, Lagging, Cost) 5. Training Completion Rates (Internal, Leading, Non-Cost) Ensure each measure is categorized to reflect its type and relevance. If the measures that you are proposing do not include all six types of measures, you need to explain why the missing types are not included. If you cannot give a good explanation, you may need to proposes additional measures. Answer: Students should select a number of business measures for this exercise, and then allocate them into the different “type” of metrics, e.g., brand image, customer satisfaction, call response rate, staff turnover, market share, ROI. If any of the six types of measures are missing, here's how you might address it: 1. Leading vs. Lagging: Ensure both leading (predictive) and lagging (outcome-based) measures are included. If only one type is present, consider adding measures like employee engagement (leading) or customer feedback scores (lagging). 2. Internal vs. External: Incorporate measures from both internal (within the organization) and external (impact on customers or market) perspectives. If only internal metrics are included, add external measures such as market share or customer satisfaction. 3. Cost vs. Non-Cost: Balance measures that reflect financial impacts (cost) and those that assess performance without a direct cost implication (non-cost). If cost metrics are missing, include financial indicators like cost savings or ROI. Example Addition: • Market Share (External, Lagging, Cost): Provides insight into the impact of change on market positioning and financial performance. EXERCISE 11.2 (pp.373) Treating Initiative Decay Purpose To focus student attention on why a change introduced into an organization may fail to be sustained. Earlier in this chapter, we identified “the top ten” causes of initiative decay. Which of these factors apply to the recent changes in your organization? What additional factors, not mentioned here, could cause initiative decay in your organization? Considering each cause in turn, what treatment would you prescribe in order to avoid or reduce the decay? Answer: To address initiative decay, follow these steps: 1. Identify Causes: Review the “top ten” causes of initiative decay from the textbook. Examples might include lack of clear goals, inadequate resources, or poor communication. 2. Assess Applicability: Determine which of these factors apply to the recent changes in your organization. For instance, if the change lacked clear goals, this would be a key factor. 3. Additional Factors: Identify any other potential causes of decay not listed in the textbook. For example, insufficient stakeholder involvement or resistance to change might be relevant. 4. Prescribe Treatments: • Lack of Clear Goals: Establish specific, measurable goals and communicate them clearly. • Inadequate Resources: Allocate appropriate resources and support for the change initiative. • Poor Communication: Implement regular, transparent communication channels. • Additional Factors: If stakeholder involvement is insufficient, increase engagement and buy-in from key stakeholders. By addressing these causes and applying appropriate treatments, you can help sustain change initiatives and reduce the risk of decay. Options/Techniques/Requirements Format: • Individually or in groups of three to four students Materials: • Chapter 11 Time Required: 10-20 minutes for an individual; 20-30 minutes where group discussion is required. Add 20-30 minutes if individuals or groups are to report back to the class as a whole. Undergraduate: This exercise may not be appropriate as an individual exercise or for small group discussion if the majority of the students in the class do not have any work experience. In this situation the exercise could be used for a whole-of-class discussion using one or two examples provided by students as the focal point. Alternatively, the exercise could be linked to a case study provided to the students. MBA/Executive: Many students with professional experience (and in particular positions in management), will be likely to have an example they can contribute. However, it may help if the exercise is extended to cover organizations they have worked in in the past or are familiar with and organizations with which they are familiar. Potential Problems and Helpful Hints • Undergraduate students having insufficient work experience but note above suggestions for how to use this exercise in this situation. Debriefing Identify the range of prescribed treatments identified by students and, if time allows, discuss the practicability of each (or some) of the suggestions. Guidelines for Answers to Questions Earlier in this chapter, we identified “the top ten” causes of initiative decay. Which of these factors apply to the recent changes in your organization? What additional factors, not mentioned here, could cause initiative decay in your organization? Considering each cause in turn, what treatment would you prescribe in order to avoid or reduce the decay? Answer: Once students have selected those factors which apply to the situation they have in mind, m they should then select from amongst the range of interventions discussed in the textbook in order to arrive the prescribed treatment. The answers to the questions in the exercises will need to be assessed according to the experience and education level of the students. To address initiative decay in your organization: 1. Applicable Causes from the Top Ten: • Lack of Clear Vision: The recent changes may have suffered from an unclear vision, leading to confusion and lack of direction. • Inadequate Leadership Support: Leadership may not have fully supported the change, resulting in insufficient guidance and motivation. • Poor Communication: There may have been gaps in communication, leading to misunderstandings and resistance among employees. • Insufficient Resources: The changes might have been under-resourced, hindering successful implementation. 2. Additional Factors: • Cultural Resistance: Employees may have resisted changes due to a strong attachment to the existing organizational culture. • Lack of Training: Employees may not have received adequate training to adapt to new processes or technologies. 3. Prescribed Treatments: • For Lack of Clear Vision: Develop and communicate a clear, compelling vision for the change, ensuring alignment with organizational goals. • For Inadequate Leadership Support: Engage leadership more deeply in the change process, securing their commitment and involvement. • For Poor Communication: Establish regular, transparent communication channels to keep all stakeholders informed and engaged. • For Insufficient Resources: Allocate necessary resources, including budget, personnel, and time, to support the change initiative. • For Cultural Resistance: Conduct cultural assessments and involve employees in the change process to build acceptance and reduce resistance. • For Lack of Training: Implement comprehensive training programs to equip employees with the skills needed to succeed in the new environment. These steps can help mitigate initiative decay and increase the likelihood of sustaining successful organizational change. ADDITIONAL EXERCISE (not in textbook) Reflection on Your Experience of Change: How Well Do Managers Manage (Change)? Note: This exercise has many similarities to Exercise 10.1. If Exercise 10.1 has already been done by the students, the marginal value in having them do this exercise as well may not be great. However, if they have not done Exercise 10.1, this exercise would be of considerable value as it provides the opportunity to reflect on and use much of the content of the textbook. See also the comments on the following Additional Exercise. Part 1 Produce a list of actions that you believe are likely to enhance the prospect of an organizational change process being successful. Select from any of the actions identified in the textbook. Part 2 1. Based on your own experience of change, rate each action in terms of how well, in your view, managers handle this action. For example, if you believe that a particular action is almost always badly handled by management - bad management could include rarely using the action – it would be expected that your rating would be ‘poor’ or ‘very poor.’ 2. Where possible, discuss your ratings with others in the group or class. Which particular actions are the most commonly nominated as being badly handled? What could be done to improve managers’ capacity in this regard? Purpose This exercise provides is designed to bring together much of the content of the textbook hence its placing at the end of the final chapter. It is intended to encourage students to think about the actions that enhance the prospect of a change process being successful to how commonly a specified action is well handled by managers. Options/Techniques/Requirements Format: Individual or group Materials: • The whole textbook Time Required: Individual (30 minutes for Part 1, 15 minutes for Part 2) Group (45 minutes for Part 1, 25 minutes for Part 2) Undergraduate: Because many undergraduates are likely to have had limited work experience, doing all of the exercise within large groups will be likely to work best as the group can use the examples from few members. MBA/Executive: Students with significant work experience will have no difficulty with this exercise as it is an exercise which specifically asks for reflection on their experience. Potential Problems and Helpful Hints • As noted above, this exercise may not be challenging for many undergraduate classes. • Students with work experience tend to list communications-related actions as the ones most commonly performed poorly. Debriefing The debriefing should focus on the actions most commonly cited as being poorly performed. Lead a class discussion of how performance in this regard might be improved. Guidelines for Answers to Questions The answers to the questions in the exercises will need to be assessed according to the experience and education level of the students. Part 1 1. Produce a list of actions that you believe are likely to enhance the prospect of an organizational change process being successful. Select from any of the actions identified in the textbook. Answer: The answer is a matter of student choice in that students can draw upon the content of any of the 12 chapters to construct their list of actions. For example, they might make use of the current chapter’s discussion of change manager competencies, and/or the Chapter 11 discussion of actions to sustain change, and/or the Chapters 8 and 9 discussions of different approaches to managing change. 1. Develop a Clear Vision: Articulate a clear and compelling vision for the change. 2. Secure Leadership Commitment: Ensure strong and visible support from top management. 3. Engage Stakeholders: Involve key stakeholders early and throughout the process. 4. Communicate Effectively: Maintain open, transparent, and consistent communication. 5. Provide Adequate Resources: Allocate necessary resources, including budget, time, and personnel. 6. Offer Training and Support: Equip employees with the skills and knowledge needed to adapt. 7. Monitor and Adjust: Continuously monitor progress and be willing to make adjustments as needed. 8. Celebrate Small Wins: Recognize and celebrate early successes to build momentum. 9. Align with Organizational Culture: Ensure the change aligns with or gradually shifts the organizational culture. 10. Establish Clear Accountability: Define roles and responsibilities clearly to ensure accountability. Part 2 2. Based on your own experience of change, rate each action in terms of how well, in your view, managers handle this action. For example, if you believe that a particular action is almost always badly handled by management—bad management could include rarely using the action—it would be expected that your rating would be poor or very poor. Answer: The answer here is an expression of personal opinion about how well various actions are handled so there is no one preferred answer. 1. Develop a Clear Vision: Fair 2. Secure Leadership Commitment: Good 3. Engage Stakeholders: Fair 4. Communicate Effectively: Poor 5. Provide Adequate Resources: Fair 6. Offer Training and Support: Fair 7. Monitor and Adjust: Poor 8. Celebrate Small Wins: Fair 9. Align with Organizational Culture: Fair 10. Establish Clear Accountability: Poor 3. Where possible, discuss your ratings with others in the group or class. Which particular actions are the most commonly nominated as being badly handled? What could be done to improve managers’ capacity in this regard? Answer: The answer for the first part is determined by the pattern of individual responses. The answer for the second part should involve a consideration of options such as training and selection of people with specified capabilities. Commonly, actions like "Communicate Effectively" and "Monitor and Adjust" are often rated as poorly handled. To improve managers’ capacity in these areas, they should receive targeted training in communication strategies and be encouraged to adopt continuous feedback loops to adapt their approach as needed. Additionally, fostering a culture of transparency and regular check-ins can help address these shortcomings. ADDITIONAL EXERCISE (not in textbook) Reflection on Your Experience of Change: Your Profile Note: This exercise has many similarities to Exercise 10.1. If Exercise 10.1 has already been done by the students, the marginal value in having them do this exercise as well may not be great. However, if they have not done Exercise 10.1, this exercise would be of considerable value as it provides the opportunity to reflect on and use much of the content of the textbook and provides a tool for self-reflection. The instructions for this exercise as the same as those for the previous exercise “Reflection on Your Experience of Change: How Well Do Managers Manage (Change)? except for one very significant difference. In Question 2 substitute “how well, in your view, managers handle this action” with “how well, in your view, you handle this action.” The rationale for this exercise is that to become a successful change manager requires a willingness to assess your own skills and abilities, strengths and weaknesses. That is, a level of self-awareness and honesty is required along with the willingness to take action to improve one’s capabilities in key areas. This exercise moves the attention from a critique of other managers to self-reflection in regard to one’s own skills and limitations. Solution Manual for Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach Ian Palmer, Richard Dunford, David A. Buchanan 9780073530536, 9780073404998
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