change management a summary of what we know brian mennecke jen blackhurst 1 summary of… hbr’s 10...

Change ManagementA summary of what we know

Brian MenneckeJen Blackhurst

1Summary of… HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Change Management:

Leading Change:Why Transformations Efforts Fail

• General Observations: Any change process goes through a series of phases that, in total, usually require a considerable length of time. – Skipping steps creates only the illusion of

speed and never produces a satisfying result. – Critical mistakes in any of the phases can have

a devastating impact, slowing momentum and negating hard won gains.

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Source: John Kotter (2007). Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail. HBR

http://hbr.org/product/leading-change-why-transformation-efforts-fail-har/an/R0701J-PDF-ENG


• Eight Steps to transforming an organization– 1) Establish a sense of urgency

• Examining market and competitive realities• Identifying and discussing crises, potential crises, or

major opportunities

– 2) Forming a Powerful Guiding Coalition• Assembling a group with enough power to lead the

change effort• Encouraging the group to work together as a team

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• Eight Steps to transforming an organization– 3) Creating a Vision

• Creating a vision to help direct the change effort• Developing strategies for achieving that vision

– 4) Communicating the Vision• Using every vehicle possible to communicate the

new vision and strategies• Teaching new behaviors by the example of the

guiding coalition

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• Eight Steps to transforming an organization– 5) Empowering Others to Act on the Vision

• Getting rid of obstacles to change• Changing systems or structures that seriously undermine

the vision• Encouraging risk taking and nontraditional ideas,

activities, and actions

– 6) Planning for and Creating Short-Term Wins• Planning for visible performance improvements• Creating those improvements• Recognizing and rewarding employees involved in the

improvements

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• Eight Steps to transforming an organization– 7) Consolidating Improvements and Producing Still More

Change• Using increased credibility to change systems, structures, and

policies that don’t fit the vision• Hiring, promoting, and developing employees who can

implement the vision• Reinvigorating the process with new projects, themes, and

change agents6) Planning for and Creating Short-Term Wins– 8) Institutionalizing New Approaches

• Articulating the connections between the new behaviors and corporate success

• Developing the means to ensure leadership development and succession

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Change Through Persuasion

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Source: Garvin and Roberto (2005). Change through Persuasion. HBR

http://hbr.org/2005/02/change-through-persuasion/ar/1

Change Through Persuasion• Dysfunctional Routines

– SIX WAYS TO STOP CHANGE IN ITS TRACKS1. A culture of "no” This routine has two sources:

– a culture that overvalues criticism – A culture that emphasizes analysis, and complex decision making

processes requiring multiple approvals, in which anybody can say "no" but nobody can say 'yes,”

2. The dog and pony show must go on.– So much weight is put on the process that ends and means are

confused with form and content– Death by PowerPoint

3. The grass is always greener– Diversification can be healthy, but all too often these efforts are

merely an avoidance tactic that keeps tough problems at arm's length.

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Change Through Persuasion• Dysfunctional Routines

– SIX WAYS TO STOP CHANGE IN ITS TRACKS4. After the meeting ends, debate begins:

– Politics triumphs over substance, staff meetings become empty rituals and meddling becomes the norm.

– Cordial, apparently cooperative meetings are followed by resistance

5. Ready,aim,aim...– Analysis paralysis, where the organization the organization is

unability to settle on a definitive course of action.6. This too shall pass.

– When prior leaders repeatedly proclaimed a state of crisis but then made few substantive changes, employees tend to be jaded

– Most believe that the wisest course of action is to ignore new initiatives, work around them, or wait things out.

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Leading Change When Business Is Good

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Source: Hemp and Stewart (2004). Leading Change When Business is Good. HBR

http://hbr.org/2004/12/leading-change-when-business-is-good/ar/1


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http://hbr.org/2004/12/leading-change-when-business-is-good/ar/1


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Radical Change, the Quiet Way

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Source: Debra Meyerson (2001). Radical Change, the Quiet Way. HBR


• Disruptive Self-Expression– The kind of self-expression that quietly disrupts

others' expectations or attitudes– Involves disruptive self-expression in language,

dress, office decor, or behavior that is designed to change the atmosphere at work

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• Verbal Jujitsu– Social actors react to undesirable, demeaning

statements or actions by turning them into opportunities for change that others will notice

– The objective is to turn a confrontational situation into an opportunity to initiate small but meaningful changes in assumptions and behavior.

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• Variable-Term Opportunism– Change agents look for opportunities to initiate

short term incremental change as well as deliberate and substantive long term change

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• Strategic Alliance Building– By working with other, like minded social

actors, the change agent can gain clout and legitimacy

– By working together and looking for opportunities to gain alleys rather than opponents, coalitions can be built

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Tipping Point Leadership

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Source: Kim and Mauborgne (2003). Tipping Point Leadership. HBR

change management a summary of what we know brian mennecke jen blackhurst 1 summary of… hbr’s 10...

Documents

leading change

change process

change effort

change management

transformation efforts

transformations efforts

hbrjohn kotter

new vision