ODN CONFERENCE 2011Building Shared Paths to Change:

A Metaphorical Approach to Implementation

Jack Shankman, MSOD

Steve Stulck, Ed. D.

November 1, 2011

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Intended Outcomes

At the end of this workshop, you will:

• understand the benefits of providing an overall change

implementation framework and a process for gaining

alignment among the organization's leadership,

implementation team members, and affected stakeholders,

• understand how to find meaningful metaphors and structure

appropriate “Journey Maps” used in the implementation of

complex initiatives within various industries and cultures,

and

• leave with practical skills in the design of a Journey Map.

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Agenda• Introductions & Check-in

− Agenda

− Intended Outcomes

• Workshop Intended Outcomes

• Large Scale Change/Transformation Implementations

– Challenges and Unintended Consequences

– Four Key Change Team Challenges

• Group Exercise and Discussion

• Experiences with Large-Scale Change Initiatives

• Journey Map Models

– Overview – A Metaphorical Approach to Large-Scale Change

– Types of Journey Maps

– Ten Steps for Creating a Journey Map

• Group Exercise

− Select a Journey Map Type & Metaphor

– Design a Change Transition Journey

• Report Outs

• Wrap-Up

– Summation of Intended Outcomes

– Plus-Delta

– Contacts- 4 -

Overview of Large Scale Change/Transformation

Initiatives• Large scale change initiatives are often complex and pose unique challenges

for the change team(s)

– Mergers/acquisitions/outsourcing

– Information technology automations

– Shift to new business models/customer support approaches

• Assertion: To be successful, we need to create shared meaning & shared

action across an organization committed to change.

– Aligning intent and action

– Navigating chaos and complexity

– Providing transition anchor points

• The challenge for leadership and change agents in the midst of large scale

change is to:

Get everyone to the right place safely!Get everyone to the right place safely!- 5 -

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Challenges and Unintended Consequences of

Large Scale Change Initiatives

ChallengesChallenges Unintended ConsequencesUnintended Consequences

• Disconnect among leadership’s, change

agent’s, and the stakeholder’s

understanding of the change journey

• Missed handoffs and duplicative work

• Lack of integration at “front end” of project

results in users suffering later

• Overall change journey is often optimized

for change team and sub-optimized for the

stakeholders

• Inconsistent and/or incongruent

approaches leave stakeholders

underprepared for change

• Sense of disregard contributes to the

cynicism of staff for change efforts- “They

don’t know or don’t care”, “I thought we

just did that.”

• Undue burden on change agents

• Overburdened stakeholders

Lead

To:

Culture:• Cynicism

• Fear

• Speed at all costs

Complexity:•Multiple stakeholders

•Hard to hold “big picture”

Alignment:• Competing needs for resources

• Rewards

• Shared sense of urgency

Accountability• Ambiguity or roles

• Managing breakdowns

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Culture

• Innovation is in our DNA

– “Invent the future”

– Constant Whitewater

– Constant Disruption

• Acquisition/ Merger/Automation– Trust in the Intentions?

• Control our change– Study and plan

– Project manage

• Reward heroes or acknowledge results

– “Win / Lose”

– Individual efforts or teamwork

What is the culture at your organization? How does it

perceive large change initiatives?

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Complexity

• Who are the key

stakeholders for this

initiative?

• How many “moving parts”

are there?

• What is the level of

coordination needed?

• What else is going on that

will distract, overlap,

compete with this change

effort?

• What is happening in the

larger “environment”?

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Leadership, Change Team, and Stakeholder Alignment

Leadership’s Expressed

ExpectationsChange Teams’ Approaches Stakeholders’ Perceptions

• Are the leadership’s expectations aligned with the change

teams’ approaches?

• Are there built-in conflicts that are not addressed?

• Do the stakeholders perceive one change effort or multiple,

uncoordinated efforts?

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Accountability

• Large, complex change initiatives often lack

accountability.– People/teams are primarily concerned with their

own part of the effort.

– Legitimacy of change leader may not be recognized

by others.

– Authority and accountability are often difused.

• Accountability is about setting expectations. – Someone(s) will make sure that something

happens.

– The expectation is clearly communicated.

– Holding the person and everyone within their

sphere of influence responsible for meeting the

established expectations.

• Carries with it an obligation to bear the

consequences for failure to perform as expected.

An absence of

accounting results in

an absence of

accountability.

An absence of

accounting results in

an absence of

accountability.

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Group Discussion:

• Individually identify a large scale change initiative that you

were engaged with

• Share your experience with your group (consider the following) What was the purpose of the initiative?

What were 2 – 3 of the greatest challenges faced by the initiative?

� Culture

� Complexity

� Alignment

� Accountability

What were the impacts on the “end users” experience?

• What are common themes / observations from these

experiences?

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Journey Maps – A Metaphorical Approach to

Large-Scale Change

• Maps are universal forms of communication, easily

understood and appreciated regardless of culture or

language. * Journey Maps help us make sense of the

transition between our current state and our intended

future.

• Journey maps make explicit our theory of change.– Describe

� what will happen and when

– Guide� they provide a set of “instructions” that guide action

– Predict� what will occur and thus allowing our theory of action to be

implemented

– Represent� a public stand and commitment to a plan of action

DefinitionDefinition

Value

Proposition

Value

Proposition

* Adapted from: Maps: Finding Our Place in

the World; James R. Akerman and Robert W.

Karrow Jr.- 13 -

Journey Maps May Take Many Forms

• Destination

– Roadmap

– “MapQuest”

– Navigation Chart

• Illustrative

– Learning Map

– Growth Map

– Storytelling

• Sequence

– Calendar

– Timeline

– Itinerary

• Relationship

– Contextual

– Customer

Engagement

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Example: Individual Growth or Journey

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Example: Learning map

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Example: Calendar of events

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Example: Theme Inspired

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Steps for Creating a Journey Map

1. Identify critical stakeholder touch

points from project plan

2. Find overlaps/gaps in stakeholder touch

points among workgroups

3. Develop a unified set of stakeholder

touch points

4. Determine lead and support

roles

7. Explore metaphors and images that

speak to the stakeholders

8. Draft Journey map and test

design

9. Identify communication

vehicles

6. Set milestone dates

5. Decide on activity

engagement/delivery models

10. Publish and execute

Build trust &

accountability

Build trust &

accountability

Tell a compelling story

of the change journey

Tell a compelling story

of the change journey

Determine desired

outcomes

Determine desired

outcomes

Build team & clarify

roles

Build team & clarify

roles

Translate Gantt Charts

to useful maps

Translate Gantt Charts

to useful maps

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Translate Gantt Charts to Useful Maps

1. Identify critical stakeholder touch points from project plan

– What do we need to get the stakeholders engaged with and what can we accomplish

“behind the curtain”?

� Determine what is essential in preparing the stakeholders for the change.

� Identify which stakeholders are needed for each of the touch points.

� Consider the stakeholders’ other roles and duties.

2. Find overlaps/gaps in stakeholder touch points among workgroups

– What engagement activities are our change colleagues contemplating?

� Identify activities that might be similar in scope and/or sequence.

� Decide on which engagement activities can be combined and which are best done separately.

3. Develop a unified set of stakeholder touch points

– What is an overall set of engagement activities that are critical to helping the stakeholders

prepare and embrace the intended future state?

� Check to see that all of the major hurdles to adoption of the change initiative are covered.

� Review the set of activities with the stakeholders’ “burden” in mind.

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Build Team and Clarify Roles

4. Determine lead and support roles throughout the journey

− Is everyone’s understanding of the change goal consistent?

� Consider both the individuals’ and the organizational goals.

� Clarify assumptions made about the overall change goal.

� Surface any hidden agendas.

− Will team members’ roles be static or dynamic over the course of the initiative?

� Different people/ groups may lead for various touch points.

� The focus of the engagement activity may suggest lead/support roles.

– Who will serve the team best for each touch point?

� Consider existing relationships with key stakeholders.

� Ensure unique perspectives are represented.

� Identify team members that will be recognized as “experts” by the stakeholders.

– How will decisions will be made?

� Generate decision rules (roles and responsibility charts, governance structure)

� Identify and manage breakdowns effectively.

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Determine Desired Outcomes

5. Decide on activity engagement/delivery models

– What is the focus of the engagement activity?

� Present “Expert(s)” (credible spokespersons) to deliver important information.

� Provide a process for the stakeholders to take ownership of the changes.

� Facilitate the stakeholders’ discovery of the intended future state.

6. Set milestone dates

– Where does each engagement activity best fit within the overall change journey?

� Determine how the touch points support and reinforce one another.

� Assess the stakeholders’ ability to absorb and embrace their engagement in the change

transition.

– What is the stakeholders’ availability to participate at each touch point?

� Consider holidays, work schedules, and other commitments.

� Determine who is critical to the engagement activity and how others might be supported.

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Tell a Compelling Story of the Change Journey

7. Explore metaphors and images that speak to the stakeholders

– What will the organization identify with?

� How does the organization see itself

� A machine � An instrument for domination � A brain

� An organism � In Flux & Transition � An orchestra

– What will provide meaning and/or understanding to the change initiative?

� What are the benefits of arriving at the new destination?

� What will your organization be able to do then that it cannot do now?

– Standing in the future and looking back at today what challenges will need to be

addressed?

� Fear, confusion, monsters from the deep

� Terrain- rivers, mountains, deserts

� Adversaries

� New skills and capabilities

8. Draft Journey Map and test design

– Test models with team, leadership, and stakeholders

� Be open to refining adding side trips - 23 -

Build trust and accountability

9. Identify communication vehicles

– How might the journey map serve as reference point and unifier at all user

activities and/or events?

� Start each activity by referring to the one before it and closing with a connection to

the next engagement touch point.

� Determine what existing communications vehicles can be used and where new ones

need to be created for impact.

10. Publish and execute

– How can you create the most visibility and reinforcement across the

organization?

� Conventional: posters in lounge areas; placemats in cafeterias; newsletters; pocket

cards; banners

� Electronic: emails reminders; web sites; social media; video testimonials from peers

– What can you do to instill confidence in the stakeholders and leadership?

� Abide by dates and commitments

� Follow-up each engagement activity with relevant material generated from the

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Group exercise:

• Design a Change Transition Journey Decide on the key stakeholder touch

points� What changes will directly impact the

stakeholders?

� Who is best to lead and who needs to

support these touch point interventions?

Describe 1 or 2 of these touch point

engagement activities.

Sequence these activities

• Select a Journey Map Type & Metaphor– What might best resonate with the

organization’s culture?� What will fit this particular organization?

� What will resonate with their view of the

change initiative?

� How might this journey map be best

communicated across the organization?

• At Your Tables:– Select one of the projects you identified earlier as a “case” to work on together

• Report Out– Share metaphors and formats for the change transition journey

– Share change transition journeys and engagement activities

– Share your group’s experience with this exercise

Groups A Groups B

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Summary – The Challenges of Large-scale Change

• Need to create shared meaning & shared action across an organization

committed to change.

– Align intent and action

– Navigate chaos and complexity

– Provide transition anchor points

• Large change initiatives come with many challenges.

– Culture

– Complexity

– Alignment

– Accountability

The overall change journey is often optimized for

change team and sub-optimized for the stakeholders.

The overall change journey is often optimized for

change team and sub-optimized for the stakeholders.

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Summary –Journey Maps Make Explicit Our

Theory of Change

• Journey Maps help us make sense of the transition between

our current state and our intended future.– Describe

– Guide

– Predict

– Represent

• The steps for building a journey map are:1. Translate Gantt Charts to useful maps

2. Build team & clarify roles

3. Determine desired outcomes

4. Tell a compelling story of the change journey

5. Build trust & accountability

Get everyone to the right place safely!Get everyone to the right place safely!- 27 -

Wrap-up

• Did we achieve our intended outcomes?

The benefits of providing an overall change implementation framework and a process for gaining organizational alignment.

Finding meaningful metaphors and structuring appropriate Journey Maps.

Practical skills in the design of a Journey Map.

• What worked about the session and what could we improve?

• Contacts: Jack Shankman

jsshankman@comcast.net

(703) 850-1913

Steve Stulcksstulck@gmail.com

(781) 929-6905

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