Change management

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The concept of change management describes a structured approach to transitions in individuals, teams, organizations and societies that moves the target from a current state to a desired state. Stated simply, change management is a process for managing the people-side of change. The most recent research points to a combination of organizational change management tools and individual change management models for effective change to take place.


Contents

[edit] Theories of Change

The evolution of the change management field stems from psychology, business and engineering. Hence, some models are derived from an organizational development perspective whereas others are based on individual behavioral models. For this reason, this section is divided into two sub-categories: Individual Change Management and Organizational Change Management. Understanding of individual and organizational change theory is necessary to implement effective change management processes and tools.

Individual Change Management

An early model of change developed by Kurt Lewin described change as a three-stage process. The first stage he called "unfreezing". It involved overcoming inertia and dismantling the existing "mind set". Defense mechanisms have to be bypassed. In the second stage the change occurs. This is typically a period of confusion and transition. We are aware that the old ways are being challenged but we do not have a clear picture to replace them with yet. The third and final stage he called "refreezing". The new mindset is crystallizing and one's comfort level is returning to previous levels.

Some change theories are based on derivatives of the Kübler-Ross model from Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's book, "On Death and Dying." The stages of Kubler-Ross's model describe the personal and emotional states that a person typically encounters when dealing with loss of a loved one. Derivatives of her model applied in other settings such as the workplace show that similar emotional states are encountered as individuals are confronted with change.

A Formula for Change was developed by Richard Beckhard and David Gleicher and is sometimes referred to as Gleicher's Formula. The Formula illustrates that the combination of organisational dissatisfaction, vision for the future and the possibility of immediate, tactical action must be stronger than the resistance within the organisation in order for meaningful changes to occur.

The ADKAR model for individual change management was developed by Prosci with input from more than 1000 organizations from 59 countries. This model describes five required building blocks for change to be realized successfully on an individual level. The building blocks of the ADKAR Model include:

  1. Awareness – of why the change is needed
  2. Desire – to support and participate in the change
  3. Knowledge – of how to change
  4. Ability – to implement new skills and behaviors
  5. Reinforcement – to sustain the change

Organizational Change Management

Organizational change management includes processes and tools for managing the people side of the change at an organizational level. These tools include a structured approach that can be used to effectively transition groups or organizations through change. When combined with an understanding of individual change management, these tools provide a framework for managing the people side of change.

[edit] Management's role

Management's first responsibility (and that of administration in case of political changes) is to detect trends in the macroenvironment as well as in the microenvironment so as to be able to identify changes and initiate programs. It is also important to estimate what impact a change will likely have on employee behaviour patterns, work processes, technological requirements, and motivation. Management must assess what employee reactions will be and craft a change program that will provide support as workers go through the process of accepting change. The program must then be implemented, disseminated throughout the organization, monitored for effectiveness, and adjusted where necessary.

Gabrielle O'Donovan has designed a strategic implementation plan for a culture transformation programme.


We are living in a field which is a whole (The quantum principle) Most of our day-to-day assumptions are still based on classical Newtonian mechanics, which usually are applied to working with organizations.[original research?] For example, most people would assume that if A is true, B is false. There is a growing number of thinkers who relate change in organizations to Quantum Mechanics, which teaches us that if A is true, B is equally true - just another side of the coin -, and that A could not exist without B.[original research?] Observers (or consultants, or leaders) are always part of a field, which they influence but by which they are influenced themselves instantly. Some examples for the application of Quantum Mechanics to Change Management:[original research?]

  • Process Oriented Psychology by Arnold Mindell talks about the field in which each human relationship exists. Its application field, Worldwork, intends to transform systems by shifting roles that people unconsciously hold in a system.
  • Dialogue (by David Bohm) is a new form of communication in large groups that is based on the suspension of assumptions, thus letting the common knowledge of a group emerge.
  • Appreciative Inquiry, one of the most frequently applied approaches to organizational change, is partly based on the assumption that change in a system is instantaneous ('Change at the Speed of Imagination')
  • Theory U of Otto Scharmer who describes a process in which change strategies are based on the emerging future rather than on lesson from the past.[1]

The map is not the territory (The constructionist principle) The map/territory relation is proven by neuroscience and is used to signify that individual people do not have access to absolute knowledge of reality, but in fact only have access to a set of beliefs they have built up over time, about reality. It has been coined into a model by Chris Argyris called the Ladder of Inference[2]. As a consequence, communication in change processes needs make sure that information about change and its consequences is presented in such a way that people with different belief systems can access this information. Methods that are based on the Map/Territory Relation help people to - become more aware of their own thinking and reasoning (reflection), - make their thinking and reasoning more visible to others (advocacy), and - inquire into others' thinking and reasoning (inquiry). Some methodological frameworks that are based on this principle are:

  • Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), an eclectic school of psychotherapy developed by Richard Bandler, John Grinder, Robert Dilts, and others;
  • Circular Questioning and other techniques basically developed in Systemic Family Therapy;[3].
  • Gestalt Psychology, a theory of mind and brain that proposes that the operational principle of the brain is holistic, parallel, and analog, with self-organizing tendencies;
  • The concept of the Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge and other management thinkers
  • Scenario Thinking, a method that helps people to create stories about the future

[edit] Change management in industrial plants

Since complex processes can be very sensitive to even small changes, proper management of change to industrial facilities and processes is recognized as critical to safety. In the US, OSHA has regulations that govern how changes are to be made and documented. The main requirement is that a thorough review of a proposed change be performed by a multi-disciplinary team to ensure that as many possible viewpoints are used as possible to minimize the chances of missing a hazard. In this context, change management is known as Management of Change, or MOC. It is just one of many components of Process Safety Management, section 1910.119(l).1

[edit] See also

[edit] Reference

  1. ^ Senge, Peter; C. Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski, Betty Sue Flowers (March 2004). Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future. Society for Organizational Learning. ISBN 0974239011. 
  2. ^ Argyris, Chris (Autumn 1982). "[1]" (PDF). Organizational Dynamics,. Retrieved on 2006-12-29. 
  3. ^ Tucker, Kate. "The Milan Approach To Family Therapy: A Critique". Retrieved on 2006-12-29. 
  • Worren, N. A. M.; Ruddle, K.; and K. Moore. 1999. "From Organizational Development to Change Management: The Emergence of a New Profession," The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. 35 (3): 273-286.
  • Beckhard, R. 1969. Organization Development: Strategies and Models, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
  • Lewin, K. 1951. Field Theory in Social Science, Harper and Row, New York.
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