Managing Change
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What is Change ?
Verb 1 a : to make different in some particular : ALTER <never bothered to
change the will> b : to make radically different : TRANSFORM <can't
change human nature> c : to give a different position, course, or
direction to
Noun 1 : the act, process, or result of changing : as a : ALTERATION <a
change in the weather> b : TRANSFORMATION <a time of vast social
change> <going through changes> c : SUBSTITUTION <a change of
scenery> d : the passage of the moon from one monthly revolution to
another; also : the passage of the moon from one phase to another
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What is Managing ?
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Managing is getting paid for home runs someone
else hits -- Casey Stengel
 When his team won the 1958 World Series,
Stengel said “I couldn’t have done it without
my players.”
The secret of managing is to keep the guys who
hate you away from the guys who are undecided
-- Casey Stengel
The essence of managing is optimizing benefits
from taking understood and analyzed risks
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Risk and Change
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Do not confuse risk with change
Risk is the probability of failing to achieve certain
objectives and realizing the associated consequences.
Change is a transition between states
Risk can be highest when the existing state is
maintained
Risk-averse organizations are very difficult to change
and often fail
Risk-averse organizations reward crisis management
and punish those who can lead effective change
When managed properly, risk is an asset, not a
liability
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Perspectives on Change
Change has considerable psychological impact on the human
mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means
that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is
encouraging because things may get better. To the
confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to
make things better. Obviously, then, one’s character and
frame of mind determine how readily he brings about
change and how he reacts to change that is imposed on
him. - K. Whitney Jr., President, Personnel Laboratory Inc.,
1967
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Champions, Sponsors, Agents,
and Targets
Champions - Initiate the change process. They bring
management’s attention to the subject, obtain the
blessings of a sponsor, and establish the credibility to get
the change program launched
Sponsors - People in authority who supply the resources and
the official backing to implement the change
Change agents - People who lead the change planning and
implementation
Targets - People who will be expected to change their work
habits
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Key Elements of Change
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Planning
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Implementation
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Communication
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Phases of Transition
Desired State
Present State
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R
O
D
U
C
T
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V
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Y
Y
Transition State
Unfreezing
Change
Refreezing
Time
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Resistance is Part of Change
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Expect resistance
Deal with it directly
Sometimes resistance is disguised
Miscommunications can lead to
resistance
Confusion can lead to resistance
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Ways to Sabotage Change
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Let the change come as a complete surprise
Don’t allow resistance to be expressed
Disregard the emotional components of change
Expect everyone to immediately embrace the change
Let people know there is something terribly wrong with them if
they choose not to change
Let the details of change take care of themselves
Keep people busy with several changes made all at once
Impose change without asking for input
Keep people in the dark as to where they stand
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Change is Good!
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Organizations that do not change become
stagnant
People in non-changing organizations become
fearful of change--hence risk-averse
Risk takers usually leave stagnant
organizations, making it harder for the
organizations to change
Change is (can be?) exciting and invigorating
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But…There are Perils for
Those Who Lead Change !!
And it ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult
to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in
its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new
order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those
who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm
defenders in those who may do well under the new. This
coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents, who have the
laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men, who
do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long
experience of them. Thus it happens that whenever those who
are hostile have the opportunity to attack they do it like
partisans, whilst the others defend lukewarmly, in such wise
that the prince is endangered along with them. -- Nicolo
Machiavelli, The Prince, 1515
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