Reframing Organizations, 3rd ed.

Chapter 18

Reframing Change: Training, Realigning, Negotiating, Grieving, and

Moving on

Reframing Change: Training, Realigning, Negotiating, Grieving, and Moving on

A Common Change Scenario: DDB Bank Change and Training Change and Realignment Change and Conflict Change and Loss Change Strategy Team Zebra: The Rest of the Story

A Common Change Scenario: Thomas Lo at DDB Bank Profitable bank faced changing environment Thomas Lo recruited to improve service and innovate Lo introduced many changes, but six months later

nothing was different Lo encountered lip service, passive resistance, but no

overt conflict Familiar story: hopeful beginning, muddle middle,

disappointing ending Change strategies that rely on only one or two frames

usually fail

Table 18.1(a)

Reframing Change

Frame Barriers to Change

Essential Strategies

Human resource

Anxiety, uncertainty

People feel incompetent, needy

Train to build new skills

Participation & involvement; Psychological support

Structural Loss of clarity and stability; confusion, chaos

Communicating, realigning, and renegotiating formal patterns and policies

Table 18.1(b)

Reframing Change

Frame Barriers to Change Essential Strategies

Political Disempowerment

Conflict between winners & losers

Create arenas for negotiating issues, forming new coalitions

Structural Loss of meaning and purpose; clinging to the past

Transition rituals

Mourn past , celebrate future

Change and Training

Change initiatives often fail because employees lack knowledge and skills People resist what they don’t understand,

don’t know how to do, or don’t believe in Training, participation and support can

increase understanding of why change is needed, as well as skills and confidence needed to implement

Change and Realignment

Structural change undermines existing patterns, creating ambiguity, confusion and resistance People don’t know how to get things done or

who’s supposed to do what Change efforts need to anticipate structural

issues, realign roles and relationships

Change and Conflict

Change creates winners and losers Winners support the change and fight for its

implementation Losers resist, try to block change effort (and

often succeed) Conflicts often are buried, where they smolder

and become more unmanageable Successful change requires framing issues,

building coalitions, and creating arenas where conflict can be surfaced and agreements negotiated

Change and Loss

Loss of a cherished symbol produces loss – akin to losing a job or a loved one

Change produces conflicting impulses: replay the past vs. plunge into the future

Cultures create transition rituals to ease loss Ritual and ceremony are essential to

successful change: celebrate or mourn the past and envision the future

Kotter: Stages of Effective Change

Create sense of urgency Pull together guiding team with need skills, credibility

and connections Create uplifting vision and strategy Communicate vision and strategy through words,

deeds, symbols Remove obstacles, empower people to move Create visible progress: early wins Persist when things get tough Nurture and shape new culture to support new ways

Reframing Kotter’s Change Model

Kotter stage

Structural Human resource

Political Symbolic

Sense of urgency

Involve, solicit input

Network with key players

Build power base

Tell compelling story

Build guiding team

Coordina-tion strategy

Team building

Stack team with key players

Put CEO on team

Uplifting vision, strategy

Implemen-tation plan

Map political terrain

Create vision rooted in past

Reframing Kotter’s Change Model

Kotter stage

Structural Human resource

Political Symbolic

Communi-cate through words, deeds, symbols

Build structures to support change process

Meetings to communi-cate, get feedback

Create arenas

Build alliances

Kickoff ceremonies

Visible leadership

Remove obstacles, empower

Change old structures

Training, support, resources

Stack team with key players

Public hangings

Early wins Plan for short-term victories

Do what it takes to get wins

Celebrate early progress

Reframing Kotter’s Change Model

Kotter stage

Structural Human resource

Political Symbolic

Keep going when going gets tough

Keep people on plan

Revival meetings

New cul-ture to support new ways

Align structure to new culture

Create “culture” team

Broad involvement in creating new culture

Stack team with key players

Mourn past

Celebrate heroes

Share stories

Team Zebra: The Rest of the Story

Top-down, Bottom-up Structural Design Learning and Training Areas for Venting Conflict Occasions for Letting Go and Celebrating

Core values Encouraging rituals Anchoring vision

Inventing ceremonies to keep spirit high

Conclusion

Major organizational change inevitably generates four categories of issues Affects individuals’ ability to feel effective

They need training, participation, support Change disrupts existing patterns

Structure needs to be realigned Change creates conflict

Need arenas to negotiate conflict, reach agreements Change creates loss of meaning for recipients

Need transition rituals to mourn past and celebrate future