Surviving and Thriving in Times of

Constant Change

Brought to you by the Schedule 2 Employers’ Group

October 9, 2013

Workbook & Tools

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Table of Contents

Taking Stock p3

Circle of Influence p4

Four Common Responses to Change p5

Personal Resilience Exercise p6

Action Planning p8

TOOLKIT: p9

Common Beliefs in Times of Change and Transition

Kotter’s Eight Steps to Transforming your Organization

The Coaching Conversation

Leading Change in the Work Place: Self-Assessment for Leaders

Leading Change in the Work Place: Planning For Organizational Change

Notes and Reflections p17

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Taking Stock of the Changes That Are Affecting Me

Affects

me

What is outside my

control

What I can influence What’s in my control

Global economy

Changes in how I do my work

Technological changes

Budget restraints

Changes to how I do my work

“Back to work” legislation

Changes in my health or

physical abilities

Changes in my family status

(new baby, new partner, etc.)

“Empty nest” syndrome

Looking after aging

parents/spouses

New pets in the house

Moving homes or locations

Changing jobs

New colleagues

New boss

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Circle of Influence

I have no control over

I have influence over

I have control over

ME

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Four Common Responses to Change

BEHAVIOURS ATTITUDE

VICTIM Resisting change

Feeling angry or depressed

Reverting to old ways of doing

things

Isolating oneself

Failing to ask for help

“Why is this happening to me?”

“Why can’t things stay the way

they are?”

CRITIC Looking for reasons why change

will not be successful

Failing to see any positive

outcomes from the change

Questioning and challenging

whether change is appropriate or

necessary

“This won’t work”

“This won’t improve anything.”

BYSTANDER Acting reluctant to get involved

Waiting for others to make

decisions and take the lead

“If I ignore this change, it will go

away.”

“I won’t jump in until I know it’s

safe.”

“I’ll wait until more experienced

people have paved the way.”

NAVIGATOR Looking for ways to help minimize

negative reactions

Exploring the causes of or reasons

behind the changes

Finding ways to be useful and

valuable in implementing change

Looking for opportunities for

improvement

Forming nurturing relationships

with others affected by change

“The business response presents

opportunities to do things

differently. It’s a change to make

things better and refocus to what’s

important.”

“I’m bound to make mistakes, but

I’m going to learn from them.”

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Personal Resilience Exercise

Imagine each spoke on the balance wheel ranging from a low level of satisfaction the closer you get to the centre of the wheel to a perfect level of satisfaction on the outside rim of the wheel. Now think about the biggest changes in your life – whether it is business or personal - to what extent are you satisfied that: POSITIVE WORLD You see the future from a positive and upbeat perspective, focussing on opportunities POSITIVE SELF

You believe that your actions can influence a positive result – you demonstrate a “can-

do” attitude

FOCUSSED

You have a strong sense of purpose, are able to set priorities that distinguish between

critical and trivial information and get quickly back on course after disruptions

FLEXIBILE – THOUGHTS

You are able to look at situations from multiple points of view, avoid black and white

thinking, seek others’ opinions, and suspend judgement while considering the

alternatives

FLEXIBLE – SOCIAL

You draw on external resources for support; value ideas as they are presented, and

continue to build on interdependence rather than independence

ORGANIZED

You quickly analyze information, choose a direction, and plan concrete steps toward

your goal

PROACTIVE You actively engage in change, take decisive action in the midst of uncertainty, take calculated risks and invest your energy in problem solving

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Personal Resil ience Chart

Positive Self

Focused

Flexible Thoughts

Flexible Social

Organized

Proactive

Positive World

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Action Planning

Short Term

between now and

next 2 weeks

Medium Term

2 weeks to 6 weeks

Longer Term

6 weeks to 3 months

WHAT do I need to do?

WHY do I need to do this?

WHO do I need to involve?

WHEN do I need to

complete this by?

WHO is my accountability

partner/support on this

item?

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Toolk i t : the fo l low ing pages provide some tools

for you to survi ve and thr ive dur ing these t imes

of constant change

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Common Bel ie fs in T imes of Change and

Trans i t ion in the Workplace

S o m e t i m e s w e h a v e b e l i e f s t h a t m a y h o l d u p o u r a b i l i t y t o m o v e

f o r w a r d . T h e s e b e l i e f s c a n o f t e n a p p l y t o p e r s o n a l c h a n g e s a s

w e l l - h o w m i g h t y o u a c k n o w l e d g e a n d a d d r e s s a n y o f t h e s e

b e l i e f s t h a t y o u m a y h o l d ?

Belief #1: “This” will go away

Belief #2: It will help if I get upset about “it”

Belief #3: This is a bad thing for my career

Belief #4: I can just keep on doing my job like I have been

Belief #5: Management knows a lot more than they are telling

Belief #6: Management doesn’t care about us/me

Belief #7: I’m not in a position to make a difference

Belief #8: Management/others are responsible to make the changes

Belief #9: The changes aren’t really necessary

Belief #10: I am going to lose my job if I don’t just go along with this change.

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Kotter’s Eight Steps to Transforming Your

Organizat ion ( f r o m J o h n K o t t e r ’ s b o o k L e a d i n g C h a n g e )

Steps to consider when introducing change :

1) Establish a sense of urgency Examining the current reality of the industry and key business drivers

2) Form a powerful guiding coalition

Assemble a group with enough influence to lead the change effort. Encourage the group to work together as a team

3) Create a vision

Create a vision which will help direct the change and focus the strategies to achieving the vision

4) Communicate the Vision

Use different ways to communicate the new vision, the key drivers, and the strategies. Teach new behaviours by leading by example.

5) Empower others to act on the vision

Get rid of the obstacles to the change by changing systems or structures that are not aligned and/or do not support the new direction. Encourage risk taking and non-traditional ideas, activities and actions.

6) Plan for and create short term wins

Plan for visible improvements and recognize and celebrate the improvements 7) Consolidate improvements and keep the momentum going

Use the increased credibility from the short term wins to align systems, structures and policies to the new vision. Reinvigorate the process with new projects that support the direction the organization is going.

8) Institutionalize new approaches

Ensure internal systems support the new approaches

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The Coaching Conversation

The GROW Model: You might consider using this model to coach yourself or others through change. For more information, go to John Whitmore’s book Coaching for Performance.

Goal: What would you like to accomplish in this conversation?

Reality: In your opinion, what is the issue? What is preventing you from achieving your goal?

Options: What are some of the ways you could resolve this issue?

Will: What will you commit to doing today/this week/by a certain date?

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Leading Change in the Work Place Self-Assessment for Leaders

During times of transformative change, it is critical that leaders pay attention to change leadership principles to help staff and each other successfully transition into the new reality. There is a responsibility to facilitate and enable change by helping people understand the reasons behind the changes and then interpreting, communicating and supporting others while the shifts in business occur. The questions below relate to characteristics and skills of successful leaders of change. Use the questions to evaluate your change readiness and where you might focus to strengthen your leadership skills.

Yes No 1. I understand and support the need for the changes

2. I am able to clearly articulate the new direction and

vision of the Industry/organization

3. I am aware of how I may react to change

4. I am able to act on the best information I have (rather than waiting for all the information)

5. I am constantly looking for new ways to get things done

6. I seek out other people when I have a challenge to solve

7. I embrace learning and constantly challenge myself

8. I look for things that I can change or influence and don’t spend time and energy getting frustrated about what I can’t change or influence

9. I am comfortable with taking calculated risks

10. I am comfortable with a moderate level of disruption and conflict

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Yes No

11. I am prepared to manage change by leading by example

12. I am able to see and diagnose an issue from various perspectives

13. I am aware of how my own patterns of behaviour impact on others

14. I am able to motivate and coach others through the changes

15. I am able to provide focus and direction when there is disruption or conflict

16. I have credibility with my staff and peers

17. I am comfortable answering “I don’t know” and seeking the answers at a later date

18. I remember to live by my values and incorporate them into my day to day work.

If you answered “yes” to the majority these questions, you possess many of the characteristics and skills needed to be a successful leader of change.

If you answered “no” too many of these questions, you may want to consider seeking out resources and others to further develop these leadership skills and attributes.

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Leading Change in the Work Place Planning For Organizational Change

As you know, responsibility for leadership in times of change lies with all of us, and in particular, the leaders of the organization. Now that you have had a chance to assess where you are personally, take some time to think about the following:

How prepared am I?

I am prepared to examine my assumptions and beliefs that may limit my

ability to move forward.

I understand where the overall organization is going.

I have a basic understanding of different parts of the organization.

I understand why staying the same is no longer an option.

I am prepared to ask myself “what do I need to change and what I need to

leave behind” for the benefit of the organization.

I can think of the key people in the organization who I feel comfortable

talking to about what is happening.

I understand the phases of transition (i.e. Bridges model of change) and

how to recognize each stage in myself and others

Questions to ask yourself:

How will I generate support for the change throughout the organization?

What are the potential barriers and what will I do to remove them?

What have I learned in the past on how to lead in times of change?

How will I involve my staff and colleagues in the change process?

How will I prepare my staff for the change process and continue to support

them through the process?

What do I need to watch for in terms of reactions from staff (emotions,

stress) and how will I support staff through the changes?

Where will I get information?

How will I communicate to my staff, throughout the change process?

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Who are the stakeholders who need to know about the changes?

What tools or resources do I need?

How will I use my values during these times of change?

Who are the practitioners with the skills sets and credibility whom I may

draw on for support?

How will we celebrate and recognize achievements?

What will I do to model new behaviours that support the change?

My thoughts:

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Notes and reflections