Change and IT Projects

Dr Andy WilsonDirector of Capability Enhancement

Loughborough University

Purposes To share some thoughts on change... ...and on change wrt IT projects To invite your reactions To identify some recommendations.

Comment I am currently Project Manager of

Loughborough’s move from 3 faculties and 20 departments to 10 schools

I’ll offer some comments on this experience!

Change concepts The “burning platform” Dilbert and Senge on change Change and loss PESTLE and MORTAR The DICE model What managers can do to help.

The “burning platform”

The “burning platform” 2 Sometimes proposed as a way of

encouraging change Refers to Piper Alpha disaster 1988 Gas platform in the North Sea 167 people died The 59 survivors jumped 200 feet into the

water This is not how you encourage change.

Dilbert on change Change is good. You go first.

Senge on change People don’t resist

change. They resist being

changed. Peter Senge

Change and loss Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, On

Death and Dying (1969) Often applied to change,

sometimes in a rather simplistic way, but…

People don’t neatly followthe model

The downs and ups arenot straightforward

But loss is often a part of even “good” change.

The stages ~ DABDA(M)1. Denial ~ They can’t do that! 2. Anger ~ They can’t do that to me!3. Bargaining ~ Well, if they’re going to do

that then I want…4. Depression ~ It’s awful and I feel

miserable5. Acceptance ~ OK, it’s going to happen6. Moving on ~ Well it’s not so bad, I can

deal with this.

On Death and Dying

PESTLE …and MORTARDrivers IssuesPolitical MeEconomic OrganisationSocial ResourcesTechnological Top TeamLegal AffectionalEthical/Environmental

Rational

The ABCD of Drivers Altruism ~ lip service, maybe Business case ~ benefits to...? Compliance ~ they do it – reluctantly Desperation ~ they do something…

The Hard Side… …of Change Management “Companies must pay as much attention

to the hard side of change management as they do to the soft aspects. By rigorously focusing on four critical elements, they can stack the odds in favor of success.”

by Harold L. Sirkin, Perry Keenan, and Alan Jackson

Harvard Business Review Online, 2005.

DICE Model of Change Duration Integrity Commitment Effort

Get these right, and change is much more likely to be successful.

DICE 2 Duration = the amount of time between

reviews (or the duration of change programme)

Integrity = the ability of the team to deliver what is required

CommitmentC1=commitment to change of top managementC2=commitment to change of employees affected by change

Effort = the perceived effort over and above normal workload that the change initiative demands.

DICE Score 1 - 4 (low is good), fractions OK D + 2I + 2C1 + C2 + E <15 Win 15 – 17 Worry >17 Woe Double weighting for: Integrity = the ability of the

team to deliver what is required

Commitment C1=commitment to change of top management.

Loughborough and DICED Duration Constant scrutiny 1I Integrity Lots of time of senior

management team, two senior administrators, many other staff, and staff development

1.5 = 3

C1 Senior commitment

Visible and repeated 1.5 = 3

C2 Wider commitment

Very doubtful 4

E Effort Seen as high 4Total

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What managers can do With all that as a starting point… If you were going through a significant

change, what would you want from your manager?

We’d want them to... Give us time Listen Acknowledge our feelings Encourage the expression of feelings Describe reality Explain the drivers Explore options Nudge us forwards

Discuss the consequences Ask difficult questions Help us to imagine how it could be Analyse risks Rehearse behaviours Feed back on our mood Celebrate successes.

IT aspects of change WIIFM? The impact of IT change Group think The computer says, “No”.

WIIFM? What’s in it for me? Institutional-level benefits may not look

like benefits from the individual’s perspective

With IT change some of the institutional benefits may seem fairly obscure…

…and some of the personal impacts may seem substantial.

The impact of IT change Consider the “worlds” of different staff

groups The academic world...? The support staff world...? And the degree of control

people have over their worlds Then think about the impact

of IT change.

Group think The tendency for members of a cohesive

group to reach decisions without weighing all the facts, especially those contradicting the majority opinion.

allpsych.com/dictionary/dictionary2.html Technical expertise – or the lack of it – can

reinforce boundaries.

The computer says, “No”.

The computer says, “No”. Remember Senge IT change may seem less negotiable.

Stakeholder analysis I’m seeing stakeholders as those people

who have an interest in – or can have an impact on – your change project

If you don’t understand who your stakeholders are – and how they feel – then successful implementation will be very hard

This tool helps you with this Please agree a project from within your

group that you’re going to work on.

Stakeholder straplines

Stakeholder straplines 2 In the top part of the circle write the

name of the stakeholder or stakeholder group

Then, for each stakeholder, try to identify a pithy phrase or strapline that captures their view of the project

Here are some examples from the Loughborough project...

Stakeholder straplines 3

Senior managersThis must happen

Academic staff

It’s the second

envelope!

Depart-mental admin staffWill I be

made redundant?

Stakeholder straplines 4 Your straplines? Do they tell you anything about what you

need to do to make your project work?

People and Technology...

It’s not rocket science...your recommendations

People do tend to get forgotten Especially teams What recommendations would you

offer concerning IT-related change?

Stakeholder straplines?

Senior managersSo now it will just happen

Academic staff

So what am I not going

to do?

IT staff

You should have asked us about it beforehand

Traffic lights

Stop doing or do less of

Keep on doing, carefully

Start doing or do more of

Fundamentals1. Establish the case for change2. Visualise how the new world will be

better3. Establish a set of shared values4. Resource the change initiative

appropriately5. Lead by example6. Assess capability and capacity7. Engage the team in the change process8. Communicate the change in a timely

and sensitive way9. Ensure senior management commitment

is visible.

Dealing with negativityRational Explain the plan

Consider what happens without changeInvolve people and demonstrate effectivenessReorganise systems from the bottom up

Personal Stress future benefitsPresent exciting possibilitiesAccept management responsibility for past failures

Emotional

Provide concrete examples of the needCommunicate details face-to-faceDemonstrate long-term commitmentExplain honestly, and promise involvement

Another project and DICED Duration Fire and forget 4I Integrity No time of senior

management team and other resource very limited

4 = 8

C1 Senior commitment

Invisible 4 = 8

C2 Wider commitment

Sceptical, on top of everything else

4

E Effort Seen as high 4Total

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