Information Technology Project Management

By : Edward simon

Managing Organizational Change, Resistance, & Conflict

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Reactions to Change

• At any given point in our lives, we all go various changes– School– Family– Personal

• We have all been through change - but how do we think about and manage it?

• Dealing with the people issues, or soft side of technology, is an area that most technical people do not enjoy.

• Many technical people and managers naively believe that the users within the organization will gladly embrace a new system if it is built properly.

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Managers & Technical People May Have The False Beliefs

• People want this change.• Monday morning we’ll turn on the system and they’ll

use it.• A good training program will answer all of their

questions and then they’ll love it.• Our people have been through a lot of change – what’s

one more change going to matter?• We see the need for helping our people adjust, but we

had to cut something.• They have two choices. They can change or they can

leave.

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In Reality, …• Some people believe that it is easier to gain

compliance than it is to gain acceptance– It assumes that everyone will comply and that compliance

is long lasting• Unfortunately,

– The change may not occur– People will comply for a time and then do things to get

around the change– Users will accept only a portion of the change

• And the full benefits of the project (MOV) are never realized or only after a great deal of time and resources are expended

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Change Management• Acceptance is much more powerful and longer lasting than

compliance– This requires that employees be prepared properly before the

system is implemented• A company going green requires employees to give up individual printers

and share printer servers. Losing entitlements can cause resentment.

• Change management helps smooth the transition and implementation of the new IT solution

• Defined by the Gartner Group– The transforming of the organization so it is aligned with the

execution of a chosen corporate business strategy. It is the management of the human element in a large-scale change project.

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The Nature of Change

• Whether we view change as positive (anticipation) or negative (dread), there is a certain amount of stress that accompanies each change.– Change has an Impact. – Change is a Process.– Change is Emotional.

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Assimilating Change• Organizations must deal with change as an individual

would and manage within the change threshold– Positive (anticipation) or negative (dread) change causes stress

and anxiety– Assimilation is the process of adapting to change. How long it

takes is a function of the impact of the change– Not assimilating fast enough or too many changes at once can

lead to problems. Managing change is critical.– To much change can lead to organizational dysfunction

• Inability to take advantage of new opportunities• Inability to solve current problems • Can eventually lead to an inability to make a profit

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Assimilating Change

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ChangeThreshold

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edAssimilation is the process we use to adjust to positive or negative changes.Problems occur when we have to deal with too many changes or when we can’t assimilate to change fast enough.

Time

Assimilating Change

– Leavitt’s Model of Organizational Change suggest that changes in people, technology, task or organizational structure can influence or impact other areas

• The four areas are interdependent – a change in one can result in a change in other areas

– Implementing a new IT system (technology) can lead to new roles and responsibilities (people) as well as impact the work they perform (tasks) and the structure of the organization (formal or informal)

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People

Technology

Task

Structure

Impact of Organizational Change (Leavitt’s Model)

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Change Is a Process

– Kurt Lewin – Force Field Analysis / Change Theory• Help to analyze and understand the forces for and

against a particular plan or change initiative• FFA – technique for developing a big picture that

involves all the forces in favor or against a particular change

– Driving forces facilitate change– Resisting forces act as barriers to change– By understanding all these forces, one may enact

strategies or decisions that take into account all of the various interests

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Change Is a Process• The present state represents the status quo• To change from the current state, there must be driving

forces to initiate and motivate the change– This requires an unfreezing or an altering of the current state’s

habits, perceptions and stability (feeling of loss)• The transition state or neutral zone can be a limbo or

emotional wilderness for many individuals – Rushing individuals through the transition results in confusion

and the resisting forces (emotional/psychological barriers) tend to push the individuals back to their present state or to escape (leave the organization)

– Staying too long in the transition state may lead to a compromise and only a portion of the change may be implemented

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Change is a Process

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PresentState

TransitionState

DesiredState

Driving Forces Resisting Forces

Unfreezing Changing Refreezing - New Status Quo

Force Field Analysis – Lewin, 1951

Emotional Response to Change

• Change can also bring out emotional responses– An well established equilibrium is upset – Five stages of grieving (Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, On Death

and Dying) have been applied to handling change– Management may be way ahead of others in the

stages due to knowing about the change early on. They must have patience to let other reach the same stage.• Sense of loss of status quo• Acceptance – accept but not necessarily like the change,

“deal with it”

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Five Stages of Grieving• Denial

– Shock and disbelief - Are you serious? This can’t be true!• Anger

– Blaming others for the change - feel anger, don’t act on it

• Bargaining– Attempts to make deals to avoid the change, “we can work things

out”– Looks for ways to extend the status quo

• Depression– Admits that change is inevitable and understands the impact– Recognizes loss of the status quo

• Acceptance– Coming to grips with the change, “deals with it”– Moving on to the new state

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Emotional Responses to Change

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shock

denial

anger

bargaining

depression

testing

acceptance

Time

EmotionalResponse

pass

ive

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stability

Elizabeth Kubler- Ross, 1969

Reactions to Change

• Change may– Be an ending– Mean giving something up– Be stressful– Be easier for those initiating the change– Be the basis for resistance and conflict– Change the “rules for success”

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Change Management Plan

• To succeed with change, the key is to plan and manage the change and the associated transition effectively

• Just creating a change management plan sends a message that management cares about its employees and will take seriously their concerns

• The project team and sponsor should address and be clear on several important areas

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Change Management Plan

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Assess Willingness, Readiness, and Ability to Change

• Players involved in change– Sponsor

• Initiating vs. sustaining sponsor• A major portion of the organization’s ability and willingness

to support the change rests with the sponsor’s commitment to the project and the associated change that will impact the organization

– Change Agents• The project manager and team make the change happen• Report directly to the plan sponsor• Must consider how change impacts the rest of the

organization (loss of power, control, relationships)

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Assess Willingness, Readiness, and Ability to Change

– Targets of Change• The users, customers, etc.• Must understand

– The real impacts of the change– The breadth of change– What’s over and what’s not – Whether the rules for success have changed

» New management now promotes based on performance and not seniority

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Develop or Adopt a Strategy for Change

• Rational–Empirical Approach– How will change benefit a particular person or group

identified as a target of the change– Message must be consistent, accurate and timely

• Saying nothing can send the wrong message– Picture – vision as to how the organization will look or

operate in the future– Purpose, - reason for the change, impact on entire

organization (current poor service)– Part to Play – involvement in the change, WIIFM (what’s in

it for me)

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Develop or Adopt a Strategy for Change

• Normative-Reeducation Approach– Focuses on helping people redefine their existing social

norms into a new set that supports the change effort– People are social beings and human behavior can be

changed by changing the social norms of a group– Focus on the core values, beliefs, and established

relationships that make up the culture of the group rather than the individual

– This approach can be very difficult and time consuming because the change agents and sponsor must study the existing values and beliefs of a group

• Need to unfreeze the current norms and set new norms to replace them

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Develop or Adopt a Strategy for Change• Power-Coercive Approach

– Compliance through the exercise of power, authority, rewards or threat of punishment for nonconformance

• May lead to employees looking for other employment• Others may just wait out the storm and wait for the old ways to return• OTOH, the shock may wake up employees to reality and gain their

acceptance. When time is of the essence, this approach can work if employees have no other options

• Environmental-Adaptive Approach– Although people may avoid disruption and loss, they can still

adapt to change• Cortez burned the boats when he heard grumbling from his men –

forced to press on• Switch word processor over weekend so on Monday everyone is forced

to use the new version

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Implement the Change Management Plan and Track Progress

• Communication– Watch out for the rumor mill!– Media is important

• Face to face communication is generally preferable when delivering important or bad news

– Must flow in both directions.– What you don’t say is as important as what you do

say!

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Evaluate Experience and Develop Lessons Learned

• Experiences should be documented and made available to other project teams

• Overall success of the change management plan should be evaluated– Help to determine the effectiveness of the

different players or a particular change management strategy

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Best Practices

• Provide consistent communication and involvement – WIIFM (What’s In It For Me)

• Determine support needs - where do people go for help and information?

• Measure and communicate progress (Quick Wins)• Build the need for change (“Burning Platform”)• Ensure visible, consistent sponsorship• Allow the disenchanted to vent

– Listen, listen, … and listen some more

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Resistance and Conflict• Resistance should be anticipated from the outset

of the project• Resistance can be either overt, in the form of

memos, meetings, etc., or covert, in the form of sabotage, foot dragging, politicking, etc.

• Resistance can arise for many valid reasons.– E.g., Response time of the system is too slow or lacks

requested features and functionality• Resistance due to cultural or behavioral reasons

is harder to rationalize, but still can keep a project from reaching its intended goal

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Why Do People Resist Change?• People may perceive the change as requiring more time and

energy than they are willing to invest.• People may feel that a change will mean giving up something

that is familiar, comfortable, and predictable.• People may be annoyed with the disruption caused by the

change, even if they know that it will be beneficial in the long run.

• People may believe that the change is being imposed on them externally, and their egos will not tolerate being told what to do.

• People may resist because of the way the decision to change was announced or because it was forced on them.

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Conflict Management• Focuses on preventing, managing, or resolving

conflicts. • It is important to identify potential conflicts as

early as possible so that the conflict can be addressed.

• Although conflict can be positive and help form new ideas and establish commitment, negative conflict left unresolved can lead to damaged relationships, mistrust, unresolved issues, continued stress, dysfunctional behavior, and low productivity and morale.

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Although conflict is one of the things most of us dislike intensely, it is inevitable. Most often when we try to avoid conflict, it will nevertheless seek us out. Some people wrongly hope that conflict will go away if it is ignored. In fact, conflict ignored is more likely to get worse, which can significantly reduce project performance. The best way to reduce conflict is to confront it.

(Verma, 1998, p. 367)

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Types of Conflict• Traditional View

– All conflict should be avoided• “Why can’t we all just get along?”

• Contemporary View– Conflict is inevitable and natural– Positive conflict stimulates ideas

• “Let’s agree to disagree!”– Negative conflict can be damaging

• Interactionist View– Conflict is necessary for performance

• “Devil’s advocate”• Stir the pot to encourage positive conflict • Tough to manage properly

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Types of Conflict

• Verma points out that conflict within projects can fit into one, or a combination, of three categories1. Conflicts associated with the goals, objectives or

specifications of the project2. Conflicts associated with the administration,

management structures or underlying philosophies of the project

3. Conflicts associated with the interpersonal relationships among people based on work ethics, styles, egos or personalities

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Approaches to Conflict• Avoidance

– Retreat, withdraw, or ignore conflict– Cooling off period may be a wise move

• Accommodation– Appease the parties in conflict, may be only useful in

the short-term• Forcing

– Dominant authority resolves conflict, useful when time critical decision is needed

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Approaches to Conflict• Compromise

– Involves aspects of forcing and accomodation– Bargaining – important aspect of a project may be

compromised (e.g., quality standards compromised to meet project schedule)

• Collaboration– Confronting and attempting to solve the problem by

incorporating different ideas, viewpoints, and perspectives.

– Requires time and sincere desire to work out a mutually acceptable solution

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Approach to Conflict Situation

• Each conflict situation is unique and the choice of anapproach to resolve conflict depends on:– Type of conflict and its relative importance to the

project.– Time pressure to resolve the conflict.– Position of power or authority of the parties involved.– Whether the emphasis is on maintaining the goals,

objectives of the project or maintaining relationships.

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ASANTE

ASANTE

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