Change managementHow to achieve and govern/lead it.

Agenda

• Ouputs of change management.

• Underlying principles / beliefs about how to lead/govern a change, that becomes self-sustained.

• The Roadmap:

• Co-Define the ”what”.

• Co-Deliver the change:

• Ensure all employees go throught the stages O!BADKAR.

• Shape the context of employees, thanks to deliverables specifically targeted at each of the stages O!

BADKAR.

• Examples of contents of a roadmap:

A governance organization.

• 3 workshops (or interviews coupled with debrief to interviewees), targeted at the stages O!BADKAR.

• Deliverables that shape the context, in order to achieve each of the stages of O!BADKAR.

Purpose of this presentation

• Food for thought.

• Basis for feedback and discussion.

• Collect and share best practices.

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Output of change management

• The adoption of

• a behaviour,

• value,

• mindset by all

(e.g. innovation, safety, risk-taking, entrepreneurial, collaboration, teamwork, customer centricity ….)

and/or

• The governance/leadership of the execution of

• a deliverable or strategy,

thanks, together with and through others.

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Underlying principles / beliefs,about how to lead/govern a change, that becomes self-sustained

• Manage in one way, but organize in another:

Change is local and co-delivered and co-defined, but, there is a need to enable this inside a given frame. This

frame can be the ways local conversations are structured thanks to question that are new or trigger new insights. This

frame can be a tentative definition of the “what” of the change, to be fine-tuned/modified by people who are expected to

embody the change.

• Address psychological and organizational dynamics, as processes:

Change requires that people go through a process, composed of the stages “O!BADKAR” (Ownership, Beliefs,

Awakening/awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Abilities, Re-enforcement), and thus, go through a process of “Unfreeze, Change

and Act, Re-freeze” behaviors/habits/mindset/beliefs ….

• Use a “Systems” rather than Analytical thinking:

Roadmap elements are “rolled-out” in a zigzag pattern (opportunistic, both bottom and top-down …), with a focus on

creating a critical mass/tipping point, and, on the interfaces/borders/connections between the groups in an organization.

To overcome inertia, remember that complex systems respond to their environment to maintain their coherence. It

happens at every level of the organization ( People will do whatever is easiest for them to do / a system will change in the

direction of using less energy. Stay away from big plans to change what is very hard to change. Look at the flow of

information and reduce friction e.g. by co- defining the issue.)

• Be focused and pragmatic:

The “what” of the change should: be a common denominator to other desired changes, and, be linked or a direct

consequence of something that is already embodied/accepted/anchored and that is easy to remember (such as

organizational values, people’s needs/fears/assets/privileges …).

Single events should be limited to max. 1 day duration, and, should focus on achieving a step of the change roadmap while

at the same time enabling participants to immediately/during the event use the change in order “to better

reach their already defined operational must-wins/goals”.

• Govern, rather than push for change:

Change is best achieved if it is self-discovery. (people are more ambitious when they define or discover for

themselves actions they need to do, and, the person people are most afraid of disagreeing with is themselves).

The goal of a leader of a change, is not (just) to “kill” resistance, it is to create self-driven engagement and commitment

toward the change (once resistance is created, it can become part of the person's identity / strokes).

Change is best achieved if you allow people time and support to digest the need for and the meaning of, the change,

and, to let go of old ways.

To trigger action/learning/change, leverage people’s very strong need to avoid cognitive dissonance, rather than

leveraging introspection.

Emotions and behaviors are contagious (people are influenced by friends of friends even if they do not know them).

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Organization.

The organization is virtual / network based.

• Governance body. Executive sponsor. Core team. Team lead.

• Task force “Eyes and ears” (need identification).

• Task force “FYI” (share learning and feedback to existing functions).

• Task force “Solutions” (design of support and delivery).

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Risk management …the main role of the governance body

In addition, to having a risk map (event likely un-desired concequences mitigation actions), monitor

execution/delivery elements!

Elements to monitor are for example:

• The change being disruptive of the ability to deliver on operational/customer related commitments.

• “To good to be true” KPIs. Lack of response to surveys. Lack of time to let-go of old ways. Few complaints. Few

request to “move faster”.

• Retention of key/rare talents. Loss of corporate knowledge

• Compliance styles of change relays.

• Lack of focus/several changes that have a common core but not roll-out in a way that triggers synergies.

• Lack of concrete actions or follow-up to workshops/communication actions.

• “Excuses” such as: change is chaotic, people resist change …

• Slips in deadlines. Unrealistic workloads.

• People consulted or involved not being representative of the whole organization.

• Reputation issues.

• Gossiping and rumors.

• Increased staffing costs. Increased reliance on a contingent workforce.

3 workshops (or interviews coupled with debrief to interviewees), targeted at the stages O!BADKAR

To trigger ”Ownership”: the ”Alignment” workshop.

• Shared definition/understanding of decision making criteria such as what makes something important,

urgent, feasible, impactful for ”me and for you”.

• Share definition/understanding of ”rights and duties” for ”me and for you”.

• ”Interface / hand-over” issues resolved.

To define the ”what” of the change & trigger ”Ownership”: the ”Why bother?”

workshop.

• ”What if?” scenarios. What does living in a VUCA world imply? What change could help me reach my

already defined operational must-wins/goals?

• What could the core/shared change be for all vs. the ones specific locally?

• What underlying beliefs does the change require?

• How is the change linked to something already important for me?

• How can people have an impact/influence/sense of being in control of events/convince others, with

regards to the change?

To ”strengthen Beliefs”, & ”trigger Desire” & ”trigger Knowledge”: the “Critical incidents”

workshop.

• Q & A ”What does it mean for me?” (”it” = ”core/shared” change defined centrally, as a result of the

workshops ”Why bother?”)

• Self-discovery of relevance ”for me” of the change, how to let-go of my old ways. Individual action plans

to embody the change.

• How can I use the change to better reach my already defined operational must-wins/goals?

• What experiments to try-out as an individual and as a team.

Deliverables that shape the context, in order to achieve the stage “Ownership”.

• Apologize for past behaviors that might have triggered the lack of ownership.

• Ensure equity prevails, and, “kill” perks, favoritism, and tolerating freeloaders, drifters or people taking advantage of

the system.

• Minimize bureaucracy or policies/procedures that get in the way of thinking and acting like an owner.

• Focus on teams functioning well. Ensure people can act as equals during negotiations. Ensure there is trust and/or

the ability to manage it.

• Ensure information flows freely, in general and about topics related to the change.

• Ensure all voices are heard and given the same weight about the change.

• Ensure people do what they love and love what they do, thanks to the change.

• Make them fight, compete or pay a price for being involved in the change.

• Link the change to other issues they care about or they feel is a duty.

• Tap into their desire to avoid losing things they value or already possess.

• Tap into their tendency to view things that are happening now as more urgent than those that will happen in the

future.

• Address their personal concerns: “What’s in it for me?”, “Does this mean I’ll have a different schedule?”, “Will this

break up our department?” …

• Guarantee that no one will be sacked as a result of the change, but eventually for not being constructive towards the

change.

• Promote the “hero profile”: apologizes for past wrong doings, avoids a black/white view of the current, avoids a culture

of “inpunity” ...

Deliverables that shape the context, in order to achieve the stage “Beliefs”.

• Create a motivating view of the future, where the beliefs are possible or are given by default until proven wrong.

• Be empathic, and show that you think or feel like them to some extent, with regard to “it not being possible to hold the

beliefs”, but that you have overcome or managed this dis-belief. Create the idea that holding the beliefs might be

possible as an exception to the principles/values them.

• Find ways of addressing at least some of the concerns that block the person from holding the beliefs. Reduce the risk

coupled with holding the beliefs. Help them to feel confident in their ability to act upon holding the beliefs

• Ask them to try out experiments that assume that beliefs are true. Pull them into performing small, incremental acts,

that go against the belief of not holding the beliefs (ideally, they might even go un-noticed by them).

• Show them that their successful “competitors” or role models hold the beliefs. Make it known that you and

others, passionately hold the beliefs. Make them interview people they respect or like and who holds the beliefs. Share

examples in which people similar to them adopted the beliefs.

• Remind them of times when they held the beliefs and it worked out well.

• Show the great benefits of holding the beliefs (e.g. it enables or enhances their need for safety, control and

certainty).

• Challenge them to be “scientific” regarding the fact that the beliefs are not grounded.

• Make the fact of not holding the beliefs, less safe.

• Promote the “hero profile”: creative, challenges assumptions, is a positive deviant, uses humor to create insight, sets

up forums for constructive critic ...

Deliverables that shape the context, in order to achieve the stage “Awakening”.

• Pull them into putting themselves in the shoes of someone at the receiving end of them embodying or not the

change.

• Ask them to collect stories/videos illustrating embodying or not the change.

• Ensure they see the nett value of the change compared to th nett value of not changing. Illustrate the benefits of the

change beyond money.

• Ensure they see or have a robust/safe/trustworthy plan to having the possibility to change/contribute to the

change.

• Demonstrate that the need for change is greater than eventual resistance to to the change. Mention influencal

sponsors of the change.

• Build their self-awareness. Build their abilities to be comfortable/not feel guilt about their own contradictions and

needs.

• Give them time to digest the “new” beliefs or facts.

• Emphasis the ”why now” of the need to change.

• Create playful/fun/comfortable work environments.

• Use business simulations to trigger awareness for new ways or new ambitions or understand what the change is,

”even if things are going pretty well”.

• Provide input from experts in favor of the change. Details what is actually going to change and what is not. Detail how

the change will be introduced.

• Create opportunities for benchmarking about concrete solutions to address differently the topic underlying the

change. Get them to collect feedback about what’s working, what’s not, what customers like, what customers are

complaining about. Clarify where things are headed (Share the good news as well as the bad news. Use plain speak).

Share the “what success looks like”.

Deliverables that shape the context, in order to achieve the stage “Desire”.

• Set up transversal projects aimed at embodying the change.

• Ensure that they see the change as a means for excelling at their already defined operational must-wins /

commitments.

• Ensure that they feel they can impact the fact that change is adopted, by others.

• Reward those who have become non-resistors or made sacrifices in order to support the change. Also reward intent

and try-outs

• Ensure people commit publically to actions supportive of the change they have defined for themselves.

• Manage the force field: Eliminate/isolate those that resist/act passive-aggressively despite having had a true fair

chance to buy-in. Actively search and punish the “bad” but do not communicate much about it yet, while rewarding the

“good” in a very visible manner..

• Give the most risky/visible actions supportive of the change, to those that are the most recent “believers” or have

resisted the most previously.

• Share failure stories linked to using the old ways, eventually critic these old ways.

• Ensure leaders energize crowds as much as they energize individuals one-on-one.

• Create a sense of “being in this together” in order to achieve the change – eventually having a common enemy. Build

a slogan supporting the change.

• Make them discover how the fact of adopting the chnage impacts positively others and their ability to adopt the

change.

• Display positive emotions that stimulate others’ emotions.

• Do not criticize a failed attempt at embodying the change. With regards to the change and their doubts about it:

listen to any of their requests for information, value and accept them even if you do not agree with what they have to

say or how they say it, disagree with the argument but not with the person.

• Create internal competitions about how to best deliver the change (ideally as transversal teams).

• Ask for their advice, not opinions, about things related to embodying the change.

• Prove that adopting the change will enable them to feel hope, security, comfort, friendship, excitement and make

their life easier.

• Set up web based discussion forums about the change and how to experiment embodying it.

• Make it easier for those who want to adopt the change, rather than expect all to change.

• Establish a network of “ombudsman”, in order to surface issues before they become problems and in order to

establish counter-power elements. Protect those that disagree with those that do not embody the change.

• Reduce the real risk to adopt the change: offer trials, make it safer/less costly to try out-the change and then

eventually decide to not adopt it ….

• Serve before you sell: give them something of uniquely valuable for them before you ask them to adopt the change .

• Promote the “hero profile”: trusts others and self, is patient, has high standards, is transparent about success and

failures, energetic, …

Deliverables that shape the context, in order to achieve the stage “Knowledge”.

• Identify trainings that target the abilities supportive of the change.

• Introduce adjusted versions of policies and processes that are aligned to the change -they are not yet mandatory.

• Define how the change impact decision-making criteria such as: important vs. urgent and/or impact vs. feasibility.

Define what is “forbidden” rather a long list of what is desirable, and, define rights and duties as a consequence of

embodying the change. Define the change in light of contexts.

• If there are several ways to embody the change, make them identify the one they prefer.

• Assess the gap between required capabilities and existing capabilities to embody the change.

• Match people to mentors (internal and external) that are role models of the change and/or of changing. Establish a

hotline related to the change.

• Introduce methodologies/ scripts, rather than just “models”, that define the “how” of the change. Provide shared

methodologies to embed the change, rather than tips (e.g. with regards to innovation/creativity the “TRIZ” rather than tips such as

build on others´ ideas, incubation, doing what you like, engage in observation sessions, walking, relaxing, socialize outside your normal

circles, randomly surf the Web …).

• Define scales and/or forms of embodying the change (e.g. for innovation/creativity, 3 levels have different scales: the

level of change that the new idea will bring, the level of novelty of the new idea, the level of possibility or ease for us to

practice the new idea).

• Set up the practice of regular After Action Review meetings.

• Promote the “hero profile”: curious, learns on the fly, …

Deliverables that shape the context, in order to achieve the stage “Abilities”.

• Build a critical mass of change management ambassadors/capabilities, and/or, experts about how to embody the

change.

• Roll-out peer-to-peer coaching workshops related to dilemmas triggered by the change.

• Measure the progress in delivering on the actions that were committed to during the workshop “Critical incidents”.

Reward experiments as much as results, in embodying the change. Implement an After Action Review process.

• Train non-leaders on “How to be a guardian of the change (e.g. deal with “bad/difficult ” peer or boss, deal with

change coping preferences …).

• Train leaders on “How to lead in a way that reinforces and nurtures the change”.

• Train managers on “How to support/accelerate an employee’s transition into a behavior/habit/belief”.

• Provide space/time/budgets for in action learning based opportunities to acquire the abilities underlying embodying

the change.

• Place emphasis on small/easy to implement attempts to embody the change. Increase the stakes / scope of the first-

identified actions aimed at embodying the change.

• Use business simulations to provide time to practice in an realistic environment where they are expected to

fail.

• Promote the “hero profile”: sets high expectations, team leader, provides timely feedback, makes giving feedback

easier …

Deliverables that shape the context, in order to achieve the stage “Re-enforcement”.

• Equip managers with ways to enable them to repeat messages and support relentlessly with regards to the

adoption of the change.

• Integrate, some, finalized versions of the elements of the actions defined in the workshop ”critical

incidents”, as annual performance objectives.

• Make, some, of the “adjusted versions of policies and processes” defined in the “Knowledge” stage, mandatory.

• Roll out sanity-checking scripts/tools, targeted at operational processes and organizational health elements

(decision-making, meetings, allocation of resources, people management process, IT, budgeting, action plans …), in

order to assess alignment to the change.

• Measure if people embody the change and/or are perceived by other of doing so (include this in existing surveys).

• Set up “Peer recognition system” with regards to embodying the change when stakes are high (e.g. the winner can

propose the charity that will receive the largest part the company donations). Reward embodying the change only when

it is done in an exceptionally good manner or when the stakes are high, while being wary of never rewarding lacks in

embodying the change. At times, sanction errors in commission to embody the change, but always sanction errors of

omission

• Define and solicit volunteers for a new change/thing to execute, that requires that the targeted change is taken

for granted.

• Enable each role/process to have 10% of time dedicated to unplanned actions aimed at embodying the change.

• Burn the bridges i.e. make it impossible to go back to the old ways.

• Create anchors (events, symbols, slogans, ….) that encourage the perception that the change is “how we do things

around here”.

• Define the culture that would reinforce the change –define supportive values only after having successfully used new

ways of working aimed at embodying the change.

• Facilitate the building of informal networks / communities of interest, that are focused on key enablers of the change.

• Establish a database of failed attempts at embodying the change by oneself or others, and review them regularly.

Create a marketplace of ideas, which can be opened outside the company, where individuals with ideas about how to

embody the change can “win” the access to resources/time/support.

• Enable regular feedback, based on interviews, to managers and leaders on 2 things: a) how they behave when the

stakes are high, and, b) at what moment their behaviours contradict the expected ones.

• Start every meeting or conversation with “the change moment” ( like is done for “safety moments” in

manufacturing plants”).

• Promote the “hero profile”: respects processes and shared ways of doing things, resilient, ….