Jonathan Miller/C4910303/B716/TMA 07.
TMA 07:
The Evidence Based Initiative
REFLECTION
ACTION
Jonathan Miller
B716
2013
Word Count:
2030
Jonathan Miller/C4910303/B716/TMA 07.
Contents
Executive Summary
p. 3
Introduction and Definitions
p. 4
The EBI Experience…
p. 5
Cycle 1 – A Lesson in Overcoming Resistance…
Learning Outcomes
p. 6
p. 8
Cycle 2 – Dealing with Staff Turnover…
Learning Outcomes
p. 9
p. 11
Combined Learning Implications…
p. 12
Conclusion
p. 14
References
p. 15
Annexes:
Annex A - Evidence Based Initiative (EBI) Context
Annex B - Scoping Report 1
Annex C - Scoping Report 2
Annex D - EBI Risk Register
Annex E - Evidence of Resistance/Conflict/Stakeholder Pressures
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Executive Summary
This report utilises two EBI cycles of inquiry in order to highlight learning and behavioral
changes undertaken throughout the B716 module.
The application of frameworks to an ever-changing EBI has surfaced a clear need for sound
awareness and integration of the business functions, and has highlighted opportunities for me
to improve my own practice.
Particular areas of development include risk, stakeholder and project management. Whilst the
use of creative problem solving techniques, leadership styles and ‘learning from others’ have
been extremely insightful.
As consequence of this reflection changes to my own management practice and thinking will
take place, and I am confident that these will prove their worth in time to come.
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Introduction
A cycle of inquiry is a situation where action ‘… create(s) the need to reflect upon the
consequences of that action and the reflection will, in turn, lead to further action’ (The Open
University, 2014). In this report two cycles of inquiry will provide evidence of how my own
management practice and thinking has changed as a result of the B716 EBI (Annex A).
Definitions
The following definitions are used throughout the report:
Risk management – ‘….control and minimise(ation) of threats….’ (Chartered Management
Institute, 2014).
Stakeholder management – ‘…consideration of (the)…strategies most appropriate’ having
identified a stakeholder (The Open University, 2012a, p. 41).
Project Management – ‘the art of directing and coordinating …resources throughout the life
of a project by using modern management techniques…’ (as cited in The Open University,
2012b, p. 25).
Power - ‘The capacity of individuals to exert their will over others’ (The Open University,
2012c, p. 100).
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Jonathan Miller/C4910303/B716/TMA 07.
The EBI Experience…
Due to changes in circumstance my EBI has shifted in focus over time (figure 1). In
succeeding in raising awareness of the problem (Annex B) I have been able focus my efforts
on dealing with resistance (Annex C) and stakeholder turnover respectively (Annex D).
Figure 1: EBI Development Over Time.
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Cycle 1 – A Lesson in Overcoming Resistance…
Having identified resistance to change, signs of conflict and the pressures felt by a
stakeholder (Annex E) at a team meeting (ASPT, 2013), I was able to identify Morgan and
Hunt’s (1994) Commitment-Trust Theory as a means to address such a messy issue (figure 2).
Figure 2: Morgan and Hunt’s Commitment-Trust Theory in Context
(Adapted from Morgan and Hunt, p. 22).
The significance of this cycle was that it helped me to see the issue from the resistant
stakeholders point of view. The model helped identify a starting point in termination costs
(stakeholder resistance to the project) and relationship benefits (cooperation with the project),
but in order to consider future actions comprehensively I needed to reflect upon the
organisations wider cultural aspects – TMA02 (Miller, 2013) - and what appeared to be the
stakeholder’s own values and beliefs (figure 3). A tacit feature of the model.
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Overtly displayed ‘Tough-Guy’ trophies
Expensive cars/motorbikes
Muscles/Sun-tans
Wearing of equipment yet to be issued to the Unit
Personal (rather than team) recognition
Perception of others
Time to focus on own priorities
Failing is a sign of incompetence
Presentation rather than content is what matters
To promote you have to show yourself to be better than
others
Figure 3: Schein’s Iceberg from an Organisational/Stakeholder Perspective
(adapted from The Open University, 2012d, p. 39).
This action was most informative. By surfacing a value of personal recognition and the
perception of others I was able to identify that continued resistance would implicate the
stakeholder as a reason for customer dissatisfaction - a termination cost. Additionally, I
discovered that I could leverage a value (Simons, 1994) of ‘time’ in order to highlight an
opportunity for the stakeholder to focus on areas seen as more important – a relationship
benefits and shared value.
The cycle highlighted a lack of communication with the stakeholder on my part.
Consequently, I was able to inquire as to the best opportunities to improve both this and my
own management performance. This does however raise a socio-ethical issue and competes
with Morgan and Hunt’s suggestion to reduce opportunistic behaviour. The situation could
be exacerbated if it were to be perceived as a way to achieve my own goals, rather than a
genuine effort to improve the relationship.
I also noticed that the customer was able to exert power over the stakeholder in order to gain
cooperation (ASPT, 2013). Although successful, it is doubtful that this will provide
satisfaction in the longer term – as sustainable stakeholder productivity cannot be guaranteed.
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A more emotionally intelligent approach (The Open University, 2012e, p. 73) where
affiliative and visionary behaviours are adopted may assist longer-term aspirations.
Learning Outcomes…
This cycle has provided a great deal of learning. I have seen the benefits of risk management
and how it helps to focus effort on the things that matter the most. Had I not identified the
resistance as a major risk I would not have been able to act and plan to mitigate it.
Additionally, I have learnt that risks must be considered early and reviewed continually.
Simply focusing on them at the start is not enough because events often change over time.
Consequently, I no longer see anything as clear-cut and understand the need to consider ‘all
angles’ - business functions - without getting too focussed on one area. What started out as a
marketing approach quickly became a more complex sociological, people and leadership
issue – where culture and values had to be taken into consideration.
I have learnt how my own actions – particularly poor communication – can contribute to a
problem, and realise now that there can be a fine balance between meeting the needs of the
task and maintaining good relationships with others. An amount of discretion is often
required when pursuing one’s own goals (cited in the Open University, 2012f p. 60).
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Cycle 2 - Dealing with Staff Turnover…
Having prepared a way forward with the resistance issue I was inconveniently notified that
three process stakeholders were going to be leaving the team - a frustrating consequence of
ever changing events. A risk to the sustainability of the new process had surfaced before it
had even been tested.
My initial approach was to ensure that the ‘handover’ of information between stakeholders
(new and old) was sound – something of a cultural shift where consideration of others’ needs
doesn’t sit high on Schein’s iceberg (figure 3). But as the new process hadn’t started yet there
really was nothing for stakeholders to handover. I found it difficult to identify a framework
to manage this issue and consulted fellow students (Theron, Hill and Khaghani, 2014) and
colleagues (Murrey, 2014). They pointed me toward the incoming stakeholders (rather than
the outgoing) and this advice prompted me to create a rich picture that indicated a way
forward (figure 4).
Figure 4: Rich Picture to Assist Selection of a Theory.
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Jonathan Miller/C4910303/B716/TMA 07.
Creative problem solving also helped me to identify how to apply Fowler’s induction levels
(cited in the Open University, 2012g, p. 121) (figure 5), but unfortunately the cycle stopped
here due to time constraints.
Figure 5: The Rich Picture Solution to the Application of Fowler’s Induction
Framework (cited in the Open University, 2012g, p. 121).
Fellow students and colleagues have helped me to see, perhaps quite obviously, that when
dealing with ‘people’ issues – one should go to the ‘people’ theories for a solution. I went
around in circles trying to make a marketing tool - the Service Profit Chain (cited in the Open
University, 2012h, p. 97) – fit, but the reality was that this issue was about ‘people’ and it
needed a people framework to fix it.
This faux pas did however highlight Total Quality Management (TQM) (cited in the Open
University, 2012i, p. 78) as a wider aspect for consideration. After all Fowler’s induction
levels are about the internal customer and would help create job satisfaction and sustainable
productivity in relation to the new process. The social aspect of PESTLE also appeared out
of Fowler’s framework with the need to identify opportunities for new team members to mix
socially in order to support their integration.
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Jonathan Miller/C4910303/B716/TMA 07.
Retrospectively it became apparent that both cycles compared to much of UK Office of
Government and Commerce (OGC) common reasons for project failure (cited in the Open
University, 2012j p. 40) (table 1). This coincidence helped me understand that in adopting
change management approaches wider/integrative issues can be surfaced, and that accepting
them early may save time and effort.
Table 1: Staff Turnover Cycle – Links to OCG Framework
(adopted from The Open University, 2012j, p. 40).
Reason for Failure
A lack of clear links between project and strategic
priorities
Mitigation
Improving processes will lead to improved
customer satisfaction – an aspiration in the
Commanding Officer’s Directive 2014/15
Use of power to gain cooperation – rather than an
EI approach
A lack of individualised approach to new comers
My own failings in communication with
stakeholder
No planned opportunity for new arrivals to
socialise/create relationship with team
Resistant stakeholder not engaging with solution
Identifying opportunities for team socialisation
A lack of clear senior management leadership
A lack of effective engagement with stakeholders
A lack of effective project team integration
Learning Outcomes…
This cycle too has been informative and educational. I was reserved about the ‘worth’ of the
Fowler framework, and at times wondered whether it was simply a list. On reflection
however, it has proven to be an insightful tool that has surfaced important wider links.
I have learnt, embarrassingly, to link my search for suitable frameworks with the topic at
hand. The learning from others in this area has been invaluable and in addition to
maintaining a reflective blog (Miller, 2014a) it has motivated me to seek more formalised
student/mentor relationships (Mentor Match Team (CMI), 2014) in order to develop my own
thinking and practice.
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Jonathan Miller/C4910303/B716/TMA 07.
I now comprehend how the nature of management can be transient. What seems stable one
day is often turned on its head the next by external factors outside of my power to control.
The radical change in stakeholders could not have been predicted but it highlights an
important need for flexibility and to monitor risk regularly.
Combined Learning Implications…
Further cycles are needed in order to act upon my planning, but I can still identify some
behavioural changes needed in order to develop my own thinking and future practice.
The hitherto comparison of my actions to the OGC framework (cited in the Open University,
2012j p. 40) has taught me to adopt change management approaches from the outset - I feel
that I can now trust them to surface important wider considerations. Ironically the OGC
framework actually infers such a thing.
My successful experience of creative problem solving techniques has highlighted their utility
amongst complex scenarios. In helping me understand and reframe the issue they have
provide that much needed ‘first step’ for action and I plan to use them more often.
I have also learnt that evaluating risk provides early opportunities to mitigate them. In
understanding the instability of management now, I see how regular review is needed in order
to adapt my approaches accordingly, and I plan to create and review a risk register for tasks
more frequently.
My plan for managing resistance highlights how important it is to understand your
stakeholders. Without understanding culture and values/beliefs I cannot formulate a reliable
course of action - aligning my plan to values and beliefs will hopefully increase the chances
of cooperation in the future.
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Jonathan Miller/C4910303/B716/TMA 07.
Morgan and Hunts (1994) theory raised a conflicting issue – in that my planned opportunities
for discussion constitute opportunistic behaviour. In this context I see that action as
acceptable, as my intentions are based on improving customer satisfaction without intended
harm to an individual. This highlights a need to evaluate the costs/benefits of my intentions
prior to taking action, in order to not exacerbate the problem. I have already made this change
and a recent evaluation of potential companies to run one of our services serves as evidence
(figure 6).
Restraining
Forces
Driving Forces
Maintaining RAPTC identity/ Unsure of
how website will fit
Wider sporting links for
growth
Company X
Location
Great
Greatlink
linktotoRAPTC
sportingEthos
ethos
in sport
Vetting of Suppliers?
Unsure of process to manage ASPT
monthly stock-check requirements
Understanding of RAPTC/PRI Ethos
No previous military involvement
Figure 6: Example of Behavioural Change with respect to Decision Making.
I felt uncomfortable in witnessing the adverse effects of the use of power to gain cooperation,
and feel that it has been counterproductive to sustainable cooperation. Only time will tell if
my instincts are right. Consequently I intend to adopt a more supportive, visionary and
influential role (The Open University, 2012e, p. 73) in leading others, rather than risk losing
cooperation in the longer term.
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Jonathan Miller/C4910303/B716/TMA 07.
Learning from others has been my most significant lesson as seeking consultation has always
delivered good results. I plan to continue using my MBA Reflective Log (Miller, 2014a) and
discussions with colleagues, and have actively sought mentor/student relationships as a result
(Mentor Match Team (CMI), 2014).
Conclusion
On reflection a significant amount of learning has taken place in relation to my latest EBI
cycles of inquiry. In conducting these cycles, many links to varied aspects of B716 learning
have been identified and I feel that I have been able to create a ‘toolkit’ for future approaches
to management problems (figure 7):
1
• CPS techniques
• Stakeholder analysis
2
• Project/Change approach
• Risk management
3
• Consideration of own actions
• Seek trusted guidance when needed
Figure 7: Toolkit for Future Management Problems.
I feel that my management learning has progressed in accordance with Bloom’s taxonomy
(Seaman, 2011) this year, and hope that it continues to develop that way for the topics in year
two of my MBA studies (figure 7).
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References
ASPT (2013) Minutes of the Training Development Working Group (Q3), [RESTRICTED],
Aldershot, Fox Lines.
Chartered Management Institute (2014) Management Direct [Online]. Available at
http://mde.managers.org.uk/members/searchsummary.aspx?term=risk%20management#def
(Accessed 11 March 2014).
Mentor Match Team (CMI). (2014) Email to Jonathan Miller, 5 March.
Miller, J.M. (2013) TMA02: Managing People and Organisations, Aldershot, Miller.
Miller, J.M. (2014a) ‘EBI’, MBA Reflective Log, 23 February [Blog]. Available at
http://jmiller77.wordpress.com/ (Accessed 11 March 2014).
Miller, J.M. (2014b) ‘EBI’, MBA Reflective Log, 23 February [Blog]. Available at
http://jmiller77.wordpress.com/ (Accessed 11 March 2014).
Morgan, R.M. and Hunt, S.D. (1994) ‘The Commitment-Trust Theory of Relationship
Marketing’, Journal of Marketing, vol. 58, pp. 20-38.
Murrey, A. (2014) Unpublished Interview Conducted by Jonathan Miller, 4 February.
Seaman, M. (2001) Bloom’s Taxonomy, Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue, vol. 13, no. 1 &
2, p. 29-43 [Online]. Available at
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=10&sid=ef58
eae7-24af-4bed-9762-4b32111d1cf3%40sessionmgr4002&hid=4111 (Accessed 11 March
2014).
Simons, R. (1994) ‘How new top managers use control systems as levers of strategic
renewal’, Strategic Management Journal, vol. 15, no. 3, p. 173 [Online]. Available at
http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=b4f
b5cc1-b1c3-4544-8563-e993794d587d%40sessionmgr112&hid=105 (Accessed 18 February
2014).
The Open University (2014) ‘Action Research: cycles of inquiry’, B716 Study Resources
[Online]. Available at:
https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=278326&section=2.5.1 (Accessed 10
March 2012).
The Open University (2012a) Unit 1: Exploring Management, Exploring Management,
Milton Keynes, The Open University, p. 41.
The Open University (2012b) Unit 6: Managing Projects and Change, Managing Projects and
Change, Milton Keynes, The Open University, p. 25.
The Open University (2012c) Unit 6: Managing Projects and Change, Managing Projects and
Change, Milton Keynes, The Open University, p. 100.
The Open University (2012d) Book 2: Managing People and Organisations, Milton Keynes,
The Open University.
The Open University (2012e) Book 1: Exploring Management, Milton Keynes, The Open
University.
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The Open University (2012f) ‘Unit 6: managing projects and change’, Managing Projects
and Change, Milton Keynes, The Open University, p. 60.
The Open University (2012g) ‘Unit 2: managing people and organisations, Managing People
and Organisations, Milton Keynes, The Open University, p. 121.
The Open University (2012h) ‘Unit 4: managing marketing, Managing Marketing, Milton
Keynes, The Open University, p. 97).
The Open University (2012i) ‘Unit 5: managing operations, Managing Operations, Milton
Keynes, The Open University, p. 78.
The Open University (2012j) ‘Unit 6: managing projects and change’, Managing Projects and
Change, Milton Keynes, The Open University, p. 40.
Theron, A., Hill, L., and Khaghani, C. (2014) Unpublished Interview Conducted by Jonathan
Miller, 1 March.
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Annex A to TMA07 - Evidence Based Initiative (EBI) Context
I belong to a large public sector organisation that provides an internal education service to the
UK Government (customer) - specifically the Ministry of Defence (MoD). My organisation
designs and delivers 21 concurrent career and specialist physical development instructor
courses, in order to meet wider military operational requirements.
Soldiers attend our centralised and decentralised courses from other military establishments
(consumers) and are resident throughout, and although we do not provide catering for them,
all other facilities associated with an educational establishment can be found on-site. These
facilities include classrooms, associated IT equipment, gymnasiums, shower/changing/rest
rooms, outdoor obstacle courses, course materials in the form of leaflets/books and café type
amenities.
I manage a Course Design Cell (CDC) that is responsible for the design and development of
course content – based on requirements set by an external stakeholder (the Training
Requirements Authority (TRA)). My EBI focuses on a change initiative that aims to improve
the process by which amendments to course content are managed between organisations and
departments (from delegation - through tracking - to completion). The current process does
not give my department (a consumer of the process) all the information required to complete
amendments, is duplicated at departmental level – creating inefficient practices that delay
action, and gives false information back to our customer (the TRA) in relation to amendment
completion date.
As my EBI has developed it has gone through three main stages – raising awareness, dealing
with resistance and planning for stakeholder turnover. These have helped me to realise that it
is really the learning gained from this situation and my own behavioural changes in relation to
management and leadership that are the real EBI.
A ‘Messy’ Problem….
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Annex B to TMA07 – Scoping Report 1
EBI (evidence-based initiative) scoping report
Over the course of your studies you will be developing your EBI. You will need to submit a completed
copy of this scoping report with both TMA 03 and 05. This will help you to think through the
management of your EBI and give you the opportunity to liaise with your tutor, so as to ensure your EBI
is appropriate and helpful to your B716 studies.
Problem / opportunity situation
Comments: Give a brief two or three sentence definition of the problem or opportunity situation that is
to be addressed by your EBI.
An opportunity has arisen to improve the process by which the content of courses delivered at my training
organisation is managed. Implementation and assurance of change (from inception to delivery) are areas that
offer the greatest opportunities for development. Consequently, there is an opportunity to improve crossdepartmental collaboration and teamwork.
Collaboration
Comments: In order to get your EBI moving you will need to get collaboration or some sort of buy-in
from a diverse range of people you work with that is likely to include managers, colleagues, partners or
customers. You need to indicate to your tutor that you have negotiated the necessary agreement and
collaboration with important stakeholders. Consider how you are negotiating these relationships. For
some you can say ‘not relevant’, for others you will quickly gain support, for still others you will need to
conduct cycles of inquiry to ascertain their response to your EBI. Work through the questions
concerning the three stakeholder groups (bosses, colleagues and customers) in the following boxes and
indicate on the scale of 1-5 how far advanced you are in securing their collaboration.
1. Bosses / employers
Task complete1
4
Comments: Do you need your boss’s/employer’s approval for this EBI? If not, that’s fine, but if you do
then consider how best to go about getting their approval/agreement and keep a record of your progress
in these scoping reports.
As this EBI relates to a cross-departmental process there are 5 ‘bosses’ whose approval I need:
My immediate line manager (leader of the course design department) is in agreement with the issue and willing to cooperate
(discussion recorded).
So too was her line manager (the training officer) but he has now moved on and a new training officer is due in at the end of
September 2013. I will need to re-approach this role for agreement and support at a later date as this role has the authority
to influence all other ‘bosses’.
The leader of the training requirements authority (TRA) (who are often the initial trigger to changes in course content) has
also been approached and is supportive. He has delegated authority to his vice (my peer) who is also very keen to assist.
The last two roles are currently the responsibility of one ‘boss’, due to a gapped post. These roles are the ‘training
coordination officer’ and the ‘chief instructor’. Contractually the incumbent takes the ‘training coordination officer’ role
and a new ‘chief instructor’ is due in post by Dec 2013. This department head is in agreement that the current process can
be improved but is not willing to collaborate/cooperate in making any changes, as he has already made isolated
improvements to his department’s area of responsibility in relation to this EBI. He appears to be a dogged opponent and I
feel that he may have issues with my role and me. Furthermore, and due to covering two roles, this stakeholder feels
extremely stretched at work and has become very reluctant to take on any work that he does not see as urgent/important in
accordance with his plans for the department. A number of cycles of enquiry will be needed here in order to gain support
and cooperation, and the new chief instructor will need to be approached for support when he arrives. I see this department
(stage of the process) as the one requiring most careful management and monitoring before I can gain any headway. It is
also important to note that this stakeholder wife has recently been diagnosed with cancer and is under going a first round of
treatment.
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2. Colleagues
Task complete
4
Comments: With colleagues you will need to consider if you need their collaboration or acquiescence.
Again keep a record of your progress in this area. If their collaboration is a significant part of your EBI,
then it may well be that you will report on one or more cycles of inquiry that you undertake in ‘managing’
or coordinating these important stakeholders.
A number of colleagues form the second tier of stakeholders, whose support I need. These stakeholders are the
‘bosses’ subordinates and my peers. Discussions have already taken place and again agreement that there is an
issue is confirmed, support in improving the process has also been gained for 2 out of three of them. This level
will be where any change is driven across the process. Frequent discussion is expected and cycles of enquiry
here will be significant. There are two points to be mindful of in this area; my peer who works for the ‘dogged
opponent’ mentioned above is also covering a gapped role and he too feels under a lot of pressure to prioritise
work in accordance with his line managers needs. Additionally, as of mid September he will revert to his
primary role only and I will need to approach a new peer for support and cooperation. It may be that the new
incumbent provides an in-road for me to convince the dogged opponent otherwise as they are close friends.
3. Customers
Task complete
5
Comments: The definition of customers doesn’t just include paying clients, but also encompasses any
colleagues and other departments who will be affected by the actions you take as part of your EBI. As
in the categories above, it might be that no one is involved here, but you should still keep this group of
people in mind as you proceed through the EBI. Situations and the implications of your actions could
change.
The major customer of this process is the training requirements authority (TRA) as it is their operational need
that we aim to satisfy through training delivered. Their support has already been discussed above. The other
obvious customers are the subordinates in all stages of the design process (including course designers and
deliverers) and of course students that are on the receiving end of courses. I have discussed the
perceived/current process with both designers and deliverers and all see that there is a lot of inefficiency in the
way change is managed. They are very supportive to my EBI, mainly because it will make their day-to-day
business easier. Students are slightly different. Despite being the ultimate customer they are unaware of the
change process and any timelines set by the TRA to ensure new material is delivered. Without the need to
know this information they are, to some extent, oblivious to the operation that occurs in the background and
so I don’t see any agreement/support needed for this group of stakeholders.
Resources
1. Materials
Task complete
5
Comments: What materials will you need in order to undertake your EBI? How will you be able to
secure these? Who do you need to talk to, what case do you need to make to them to get them to give
you their support?
Very few materials will be needed to complete this EBI and those that are such as; IT equipment, flip charts,
pens, paper and general stationary are already considered ubiquitous throughout the organisation.
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2. Time
Task complete
2
Comments: What are the time commitments involved in your EBI? A particular point to consider is how
long each cycle of inquiry will take. For example, if you are looking at how you run a monthly meeting,
then you will only be able to do one cycle of inquiry per month. If you are undertaking an action where
you can get an immediate response, things will move more quickly. Also consider your EBI overall, how
far do you think you will get before the end of the B716 module?
Time is an area that has already proven to delay cycles of enquiry/action toward this EBI. Coordinating
stakeholder meetings/discussions are always dependant on their availability, day-to-day tasks often take
priority meaning that they tend to be the first thing to drop off of ‘to do’ lists. Updates to training material are
constantly being received and so scope to try ne w procedures is good. However, updates can vary from simple
word changes to implementation of a new policy, for example, and such changes require a considerable amount
of time and effort that hinders EBI planning and action. As previously mentioned new personnel and the date
that they arrive will also determine progress in some areas.
I feel that I can get to a stage where a new process can be proposed but as the TRA are generally the trigger for
updates they will have to be the ones to initiate a review of current procedures. We have a TRA & Training
Delivery Authority (TDA) meeting (capturing all stakeholders) on a quarterly basis and so this will hinder
progress at times especially when getting the ball rolling. The next meeting is due in Oct 13, where we plan to
introduce the problem and identify a need to improve procedures.
1. Use of theory
Task complete
3
Comments: Which of the concepts, theories, frameworks or models from the B716 materials are you
going to use and test in your EBI? Note down why you have chosen them, but also identify any doubts
that you have about your choice. As time goes on, you might find that you change your opinion on what
theories are helpful to your EBI.
The following concepts/theories have been identified as useful for my EBI:
Leadership:
Emotional intelligence: use of positive impact approaches in order to gain cooperation and maintain
support with ‘bosses’ mainly. I have doubts that the negative impact approaches (directive/pacesetting) will only produce negative results considering the culture of my organisation.
-
Depending on the stakeholder the supporting/coaching/directing/delegating approaches may also be
worth considering. For example; I may be able to support the TRA in initiating change by
highlighting the current process and its inefficiencies or delegate our own departmental part in the
process to a subordinate as a means to increase his responsibility and assess his leadership for his
annual appraisal. The doubts I have about this are that it may be difficult to analyse a situation on
the spot and adapt my approach accordingly. It must take great presence of mind to be able to do
that.
-
Transformational theory: encouraging the heart, enabling others, challenge, inspiring shared vision and
modelling the way are areas of this theory that I find exciting. BY applying these approaches I hope to
maintain momentum and encourage people to work toward what will hopefully be a great result. I
particularly like the idea of this being linked to longer-term success. My concerns here are that despite
such approaches ‘dogged opponents’ will hold onto power and continue to not support any change
-
Managing Organisations and People:
-
Dual factor theory: the awareness and application of hygiene and motivation factors will be very
interesting for the group undertaking this process change. I hope that by bringing them together and
applying both factors that the group will become a team and provide an effective solution to the
problem. Concerns here again are based around how this may be received by the dogged opponent.
-
Conflict: identifying signs of conflict and testing out strategies to deal with them will (I think) be
important here. Departments work in isolation and the team approach is rarely seen. I see conflict
as something common in this project.
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I have rated completion of this task low, as there may be theories from ‘change’ and ‘operations’ that
offer help too.
Jonathan Miller/B716/TMA05
2. Cycles of inquiry
Task complete
2
Comments: A key element of your EBI will be the undertaking of a series of cycles of inquiry. We’d
strongly suggest that you undertake at least one of these between every TMA. In this section, you
should summarise the action you took, and any reflection that has followed this. Use this section to
point out where other elements of the scoping report have changed. (This section, of no more than 400
words, will be a part of your TMA07 submission).
Cycles of enquiry thus far have included:
Evidence and use of theory – in making my initial plans for the EBI I soon realised that I needed to evidence it
better. I identified that I already had evidence to support varied departmental processes for the same task,
emails and written reports from instructors to support my case but I still needed to get opinions on the current
process from delivery staff and agreement from key stakeholders to support any change. These actions have
now all been undertaken and I feel that I can better justify the need for change at subsequent stakeholder
meetings and know where my dogged opponents lie. In deciding what theories to test I had to review the
course content thus far and determine which may provide the best insight for my development and the success
of the EBI.
Stakeholder mapping – in analysing the stakeholders I was able to identify where power and interest lay and
subsequently note approaches to take with each of these. For example; I may need to ensure I gain support of
the new training officer, when he arrives in October, in order to overcome the dogged opponent issue later
down the line. I was also able to identify (in conjunction with the systems map below) that the TRA were
absolutely key to driving this change forward as the initial trigger for course updates. In considering their
needs (and also what the current process didn’t provide them with in order to help them do their job) I was able
to easily convince them that a better process would assist them in satisfying their customers based on the
inclusion of additional information such as when the update was actually being delivered, rather than just when
the TDA had accepted the task.
Systems map - mapping the current process allowed me and my line manager to produce possible future
process options to discuss with the group. It also highlighted how complex the current process was and this
will help to gain support at the quarterly meeting where the need to change procedures will be formally
highlighted. Putting the process down and overlaying the tools used to communicate information gave a very
clear picture of how complex things were and how much duplication of effort was occurring. I see this same
map as a great way to convince stakeholders of a need for change at the quarterly Training Development
Working Group Meeting.
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Annex C to TMA07 – Scoping Report 2
EBI (evidence-based initiative) scoping report
Over the course of your studies you will be developing your EBI. You will need to submit a completed copy of this
scoping report with both TMA 03 and 05. This will help you to think through the management of your EBI and give you
the opportunity to liaise with your tutor, so as to ensure your EBI is appropriate and helpful to your B716 studies.
Problem / opportunity situation
Comments: Give a brief two or three sentence definition of the problem or opportunity situation that is to be addressed
by your EBI.
An opportunity has arisen to improve the process by which the content of courses delivered at my training organisation is
managed. Implementation and assurance of change (from inception to delivery) are areas that offer the greatest opportunities
for development. Consequently, there is an opportunity to improve cross-departmental collaboration and teamwork.
Cross-stakeholder issues present an opportunity for me to develop my leadership and management skills, through the practical
application of B716 theory to an organisational change initiative.
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Collaboration
Comments: In order to get your EBI moving you will need to get collaboration or some sort of buy-in from a diverse
range of people you work with that is likely to include managers, colleagues, partners or customers. You need to
indicate to your tutor that you have negotiated the necessary agreement and collaboration with important stakeholders.
Consider how you are negotiating these relationships. For some you can say ‘not relevant’, for others you will quickly
gain support, for still others you will need to conduct cycles of inquiry to ascertain their response to your EBI. Work
through the questions concerning the three stakeholder groups (bosses, colleagues and customers) in the following
boxes and indicate on the scale of 1-5 how far advanced you are in securing their collaboration.
1. Bosses / employers
Task complete†
4
4+
Comments: Do you need your boss’s/employer’s approval for this EBI? If not, that’s fine, but if you do then consider
how best to go about getting their approval/agreement and keep a record of your progress in these scoping reports.
As this EBI relates to a cross-departmental process there are 5 ‘bosses’ whose approval I need:
My immediate line manager (leader of the course design department) is in agreement with the issue and willing to cooperate
(discussion recorded). No change.
So too was her line manager (the training officer) but he has now moved on and a new training officer is due in at the end of
September 2013. I will need to re-approach this role for agreement and support at a later date as this role has the authority to
influence all other ‘bosses’. New stakeholder in place and discussions to highlight the benefits of a more efficient process (better
tracking of updates, less time burden, transparency, updating of information required by each stage (Dept) of the process proved
successful.
The leader of the training requirements authority (TRA) (who are often the initial trigger to changes in course content) has also been
approached and is supportive. He has delegated authority to his vice (my peer) who is also very keen to assist. Having discussed
the current process’ issues with my peer, highlighting the benefit of change for them – mainly that they were getting incorrect
information leading them to believe an update was being taught when only the design phase had been completed, the departmental
leader actually took on the task of bringing stakeholders together to find a way forward.
The last two roles are currently the responsibility of one ‘boss’, due to a gapped post. These roles are the ‘training coordination
officer’ and the ‘chief instructor’. Contractually the incumbent takes the ‘training coordination officer’ role and a new ‘chief
instructor’ is due in post by Dec 2013. This department head is in agreement that the current process can be improved but is not
willing to collaborate/cooperate in making any changes, as he has already made isolated improvements to his department’s area of
responsibility in relation to this EBI. He appears to be a dogged opponent and I feel that he may have issues with my role and me.
Furthermore, and due to covering two roles, this stakeholder feels extremely stretched at work and has become very reluctant to take
on any work that he does not see as urgent/important in accordance with his plans for the department. A number of cycles of
enquiry will be needed here in order to gain support and cooperation, and the new chief instructor will need to be approached for
support when he arrives. I see this department (stage of the process) as the one requiring most careful management and monitoring
before I can gain any headway. It is also important to note that this stakeholder wife has recently been diagnosed with cancer and is
under going a first round of treatment. Discussions to highlight relationship termination costs, relationship benefits, shared values
and supporting communication with this stakeholder failed to bring him on-side (a conflicting experience when compared to the
Trust/Relationship commitment model). The TRA leader also tried to discuss the matter individually with this stakeholder to no
avail and subsequently directed that this change would be taking place. The reluctant stakeholder felt that his departmental
processes were being questioned and didn’t see a need for a collaborative approach that included a shared document to track
changes. I suspect that due to manning issues and his stage of the process generally being the bottleneck – that he feels people will
judge him to be doing a bad job of managing his department – link to organisation culture. Observation of behaviour in this new
meeting indicated that there are no issues with my role/me – when others tried to discuss the idea with him he reacted them same
way. It was also noted that he was very reluctant to have a member of his department input a single date onto the proposed joint
spreadsheet because they were so busy and this would add to their responsibilities. Despite the TRA leader ordering his cooperation
I still feel that I can develop my own relationship with him in relation to this new process through the TRUST/Commitment model.
I have so far helped enable the change by offering to assist with spreadsheets and behaved supportively by highlighting how well he
supports his wife over work commitments. The new CI has yet to start work. All other stakeholders at the meeting agreed on action
– possibly due to me appealing to their needs.
†
For each element of this scoping report, we’ve added a 1-5 scale to help you think through how complete a task is. 1 = not really
started yet! And 5 = this element of the EBI under complete control/finished
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Jonathan Miller/B716/TMA05
2. Colleagues
Task complete
4
5
Comments: With colleagues you will need to consider if you need their collaboration or acquiescence. Again keep a
record of your progress in this area. If their collaboration is a significant part of your EBI, then it may well be that you will
report on one or more cycles of inquiry that you undertake in ‘managing’ or coordinating these important stakeholders.
A number of colleagues form the second tier of stakeholders, whose support I need. These stakeholders are the
‘bosses’ subordinates and my peers. Discussions have already taken place and again agreement that there is an issue
is confirmed, support in improving the process has also been gained for 2 out of three of them. This level will be
where any change is driven across the process. Frequent discussion is expected and cycles of enquiry here will be
significant. There are two points to be mindful of in this area; my peer who works for the ‘dogged opponent’
mentioned above is also covering a gapped role and he too feels under a lot of pressure to prioritise work in
accordance with his line managers needs. Additionally, as of mid September he will revert to his primary role only
and I will need to approach a new peer for support and cooperation. It may be that the new incumbent provides an inroad for me to convince the dogged opponent otherwise as they are close friends. The frequent discussion here was
not needed due to the TRA stakeholder taking the initiative and order that the process be changed – all peers then had
to follow suit. A new peer has arrived and discussions about the process went well – support was gained, which
conflicts with his bosses (dogged opponent) views. Approaching this new peer has proved very successful when
action is required – based on the TRA leaders orders.
3. Customers
Task complete
5
Comments: The definition of customers doesn’t just include paying clients, but also encompasses any colleagues and
other departments who will be affected by the actions you take as part of your EBI. As in the categories above, it might
be that no one is involved here, but you should still keep this group of people in mind as you proceed through the EBI.
Situations and the implications of your actions could change.
The major customer of this process is the training requirements authority (TRA) as it is their operational need that we
aim to satisfy through training delivered. Their support has already been discussed above. The other obvious customers
are the subordinates in all stages of the design process (including course designers and deliverers) and of course students
that are on the receiving end of courses. I have discussed the perceived/current process with both designers and
deliverers and all see that there is a lot of inefficiency in the way change is managed. They are very supportive to my
EBI, mainly because it will make their day-to-day business easier. Students are slightly different. Despite being the
ultimate customer they are unaware of the change process and any timelines set by the TRA to ensure new material is
delivered. Without the need to know this information they are, to some extent, oblivious to the operation that occurs in
the background and so I don’t see any agreement/support needed for this group of stakeholders. No change to customer
opinions but Unit 4 (Marketing) has highlighted that students are actually the consumers of our product. Despite being
unaware of how the changes are made the efficient change to material is in their interests as it means meeting
expectations of up-to-date information in training and therefore has a direct affect on satisfaction and value creation.
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Resources
1. Materials
Task complete
5
Comments: What materials will you need in order to undertake your EBI? How will you be able to
secure these? Who do you need to talk to, what case do you need to make to them to get them to give
you their support?
Very few materials will be needed to complete this EBI and those that are such as; IT equipment, flip charts,
pens, paper and general stationary are already considered ubiquitous throughout the organisation. No change.
2. Time
Task complete
2
4
Comments: What are the time commitments involved in your EBI? A particular point to consider is how
long each cycle of inquiry will take. For example, if you are looking at how you run a monthly meeting,
then you will only be able to do one cycle of inquiry per month. If you are undertaking an action where
you can get an immediate response, things will move more quickly. Also consider your EBI overall, how
far do you think you will get before the end of the B716 module?
Time is an area that has already proven to delay cycles of enquiry/action toward this EBI. Coordinating
stakeholder meetings/discussions are always dependant on their availability, day-to-day tasks often take
priority meaning that they tend to be the first thing to drop off of ‘to do’ lists. Updates to training material are
constantly being received and so scope to try ne w procedures is good. However, updates can vary from simple
word changes to implementation of a new policy, for example, and such changes require a considerable amount
of time and effort that hinders EBI planning and action. As previously mentioned new personnel and the date
that they arrive will also determine progress in some areas.
I feel that I can get to a stage where a new process can be proposed but as the TRA are generally the trigger for
updates they will have to be the ones to initiate a review of current procedures. We have a TRA & Training
Delivery Authority (TDA) meeting (capturing all stakeholders) on a quarterly basis and so this will hinder
progress at times especially when getting the ball rolling. The next meeting is due in Oct 13, where we plan to
introduce the problem and identify a need to improve procedures. As previously mentioned this meeting has
now taken place and under the direction of the TRA leader a new initiative has been endorsed. So much so,
that at the same meeting all stakeholder needs (in relation to tasking information required at each stage of an
update) were captured and a new spreadsheet produced for trial in Jan 14 as part of the new process. The next
meeting is scheduled for Feb/Mar 2014, which may not be in time for my final EBI TMA – but I can continue
my next cycles of inquiry in the meantime which should mitigate that potential issue.
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1. Use of theory
Task complete
3
4
Comments: Which of the concepts, theories, frameworks or models from the B716 materials are you
going to use and test in your EBI? Note down why you have chosen them, but also identify any doubts
that you have about your choice. As time goes on, you might find that you change your opinion on what
theories are helpful to your EBI.
The following concepts/theories have been identified as useful for my EBI:
Leadership:
Emotional intelligence: use of positive impact approaches in order to gain cooperation and maintain
support with ‘bosses’ mainly. I have doubts that the negative impact approaches (directive/pacesetting) will only produce negative results considering the culture of my organisation. Visionary,
affiliative, participative and sometimes coaching behaviours with my superiors have proven really
successful. Vocalising a vision of less effort for example in meetings seems to have produced buyin from most.
-
Depending on the stakeholder the supporting/coaching/directing/delegating approaches may also be
worth considering. For example; I may be able to support the TRA in initiating change by
highlighting the current process and its inefficiencies or delegate our own departmental part in the
process to a subordinate as a means to increase his responsibility and assess his leadership for his
annual appraisal. The doubts I have about this are that it may be difficult to analyse a situation on
the spot and adapt my approach accordingly. It must take great presence of mind to be able to do
that. Support to the TRA - in understanding their needs - has been the key to them mandating a
change to procedures. There has been no need for delegation as all changes were made at the last
stakeholder meeting! Making notes on these approaches prior to the meeting – with key examples
of the benefits helped me to counter any arguments and proved very useful.
-
Transformational theory: encouraging the heart, enabling others, challenge, inspiring shared vision
and modelling the way are areas of this theory that I find exciting. BY applying these approaches I
hope to maintain momentum and encourage people to work toward what will hopefully be a great
result. I particularly like the idea of this being linked to longer-term success. My concerns here are
that despite such approaches ‘dogged opponents’ will hold onto power and continue to not support
any change. I have been able to enable the change as custodian of the shared (electronic) filing
system where the new process spreadsheet exists. Being able to inspire a vision of collaborative
working for the benefit of internal customers and sudents has also been very successful. Where
opposition was encountered encouraging the heart and using value based control levers – doing
whats best for the student – has been fantastic!
Managing Organisations and People:
Dual factor theory: the awareness and application of hygiene and motivation factors will be very
interesting for the group undertaking this process change. I hope that by bringing them together and
applying both factors that the group will become a team and provide an effective solution to the
problem. Concerns here again are based around how this may be received by the dogged opponent.
There is still work to do on interpersonal relationships in order to prevent dissatisfaction.
Highlighting responsibility and advancement/growth has helped to create the change. It is hoped
that achievement and recognition can be highlighted/given after successful implementation.
-
Conflict: identifying signs of conflict and testing out strategies to deal with them will (I think) be
important here. Departments work in isolation and the team approach is rarely seen. I see conflict
as something common in this project. Signs of conflict were noted in the meeting – uncomfortable
silences, withdrawal and constant referral to policy – on the part of the dogged opponent (addressed
to all others). This highlights for me the values/motivational aspects of this person and I hope to
gain more trust from him in order to achieve better cooperation. At this stage I am allowing it but
hope to resolve the issue with the trust/relationship commitment model.
I have rated completion of this task low, as there may be theories from ‘change’ and ‘operations’ that
offer help too.
New use of performance objectives, flow and time allowances, Lean/JIT approaches, sequencing/queing,
procurement matrix, TQM – since completion of Unit 5. Unit 6 still tbc – kotters steps toward managing
change.
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2. Cycles of inquiry
Task complete
2
4
Comments: A key element of your EBI will be the undertaking of a series of cycles of inquiry. We’d
strongly suggest that you undertake at least one of these between every TMA. In this section, you
should summarise the action you took, and any reflection that has followed this. Use this section to
point out where other elements of the scoping report have changed. (This section, of no more than 400
words, will be a part of your TMA07 submission).
Cycles of enquiry thus far have included:
Evidence and use of theory – in making my initial plans for the EBI I soon realised that I needed to evidence it
better. I identified that I already had evidence to support varied departmental processes for the same task,
emails and written reports from instructors to support my case but I still needed to get opinions on the current
process from delivery staff and agreement from key stakeholders to support any change. These actions have
now all been undertaken and I feel that I can better justify the need for change at subsequent stakeholder
meetings and know where my dogged opponents lie. In deciding what theories to test I had to review the
course content thus far and determine which may provide the best insight for my development and the success
of the EBI.
Stakeholder mapping – in analysing the stakeholders I was able to identify where power and interest lay and
subsequently note approaches to take with each of these. For example; I may need to ensure I gain support of
the new training officer, when he arrives in October, in order to overcome the dogged opponent issue later
down the line. I was also able to identify (in conjunction with the systems map below) that the TRA were
absolutely key to driving this change forward as the initial trigger for course updates. In considering their
needs (and also what the current process didn’t provide them with in order to help them do their job) I was able
to easily convince them that a better process would assist them in satisfying their customers based on the
inclusion of additional information such as when the update was actually being delivered, rather than just when
the TDA had accepted the task.
Systems map - mapping the current process allowed me and my line manager to produce possible future
process options to discuss with the group. It also highlighted how complex the current process was and this
will help to gain support at the quarterly meeting where the need to change procedures will be formally
highlighted. Putting the process down and overlaying the tools used to communicate information gave a very
clear picture of how complex things were and how much duplication of effort was occurring. I see this same
map as a great way to convince stakeholders of a need for change at the quarterly Training Development
Working Group Meeting.
Productive inquiry – practical application (in context) of theories identified so far (isolated discussions and
meeting).
Investigation of current and desired process through use of process maps.
Marketing approaches – internal/external customer review.
Conflict – evidence of signs and plans to deal with it.
Further development of trust and relationship commitment with dogged opponent.
Next cycles may include – transformation process map, value chain and operations benefits in context, risk/cost
benefit matrix and continuous vs radical change implications. Plus new possibilities from Unit 6 and
application of control levers (diagnostic, belief, boundary and feedback) for utility.
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Annex D to TMA07 – EBI Risk Register
Overall Risk
Item
Nature of
Risk
Probability Impact
Explanation
Pre Mitigation
Losing
resistant
stakeholder’s
cooperation.
High
High
High
Med
Stakeholder renowned for resistance,
has significant power and authority
that may be used to influence
current/new staff (see risk 2 below).
Large cost to other users of the
process.
Strategy - Reduce risk.
Approach: Political behavior
(influence).
Understand needs.
Gain trust.
Leadership.
Control Levers.
2
High
High
High
Med
Significant probability that 4
stakeholders will leave by May
2014. Large impact if new staffs do
not understand process.
Large impact on time to implement
process.
Danger of ‘Backsliding’.
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Speedier conversion of design details
to delivery - seen on new
spreadsheet.
Reduced signs of conflict in
meetings.
Positive word of mouth about the
change.
'Outcomes' of Heskett's model
observed.
An external risk affecting whole
EBI.
Multiple
stakeholder
turnover.
Behavioral Changes to
Support Mitigation
Post Mitigation
An internal risk affecting the whole
EBI.
1
Mitigating Actions
Changes to departmental induction
procedures.
Strategy - Reduce risk.
Approach: Political behaviour
(influence).
Manage Transition.
Succession planning.
Observation that new arrivals are
utilising new process
effectively/efficiently.
No complaint that legacy staffs are
carrying cost.
Customer still satisfied.
Jonathan Miller/B716/TMA05
Internal risk affecting whole EBI.
3
Poor
Teamwork.
Med
High
Med
Low
Historically poor
collaboration/cooperation.
Impact on customer satisfaction high.
Strategy – reduce risk.
Approach: Political Behaviour
(influence).
Team approach.
Heathrow T5 example.
Organisational benefit.
Other team member needs and
failings of old process discussed in
meetings.
Empathy toward other stakeholders.
Efficient use of new process – based
on implications for other users.
A cultural internal risk affecting the
whole EBI through quality.
Agreed measures of success.
Probability is high but impact on
creating a new process is moderate.
4
No measure
of success.
High
Med
Med
Low
Danger of complacency – new
factors not considered/’learning
disabled?’
May affect quality of new process
and customer satisfaction.
Strategy: Reduce risk.
Approach: Political behaviour
(influence).
Ratios.
Marketing Ladder.
5
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An external risk affecting my MBA.
Med
High
Med
Low
Moderate probability due to other
work priorities/project deadline
approaching.
Significant cost and quality impact
for TMA07 and B716 Examination.
Review meetings set.
Qualitative/quantitative data to
determine customer satisfaction.
Comparison to pre-change
qualitative data.
Success can’t be measured and
future decisions/learning
compromised.
Failure to
change my
own
management
practice as a
result of the
EBI process.
Referral to new measures in
meetings.
Strategy: Reduce probability.
Approach: Take Action.
Learning from projects.
Schedule.
Discussions.
Journal.
Evidence of scheduling and
Journal.
Jonathan Miller/B716/TMA05
Annex E to TMA07 – Evidence of Resistance/Conflict/Stakeholder Pressures
This annex represent the evidence seen in a stakeholder meeting to suggest resistance,
conflict and perceived pressure issues.
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