The People Side of
Organizational Improvement
Pam Solberg-Tapper MHSA, PCC
Executive Coach/Leadership Development
“Success in business is 15% technical ability
while 85% is the ability to deal with and
impact people.”
Dale Carnegie
People and Change
• Why People Resist Change
• Critical Leadership Skills for Dealing with People
• Best Practices
About Change
• The natural reaction to change, even in the best
circumstances, is to resist
• People go through the change process in stages
• People go through these stages as individuals
Change Management: The People Side of Change: Hiatt and Creasey
Self-actualization
Importance
Belonging
Security
Survival
“Try to honestly see things from the other
person’s point of view”
Dale Carnegie Human Relations Principle
WIIFM?
“People support a process that
helps them succeed”
Leadership Training for Managers: Dale Carnegie
Why People Resist Change
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Not understanding the need for
change
Not knowing what is in it for them
Fear of unknown – job
security/loss of status
Not being consulted
Peer pressures
Non-reinforcing reward systems
Limited skills and training
Climate of mistrust
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Poor communication of what new
process and expectations will be
Politics
Not understanding difference
between change and transition
Lack of people skills of leaders
Poor timing
Perceived as temporary fad
Too much change in short time
period
The Power of Why
“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you
do it. And if you talk about what you believe, you
will attract those who believe what you believe.”
Simon Sinek
Why Before What
Why?
Messages about the business today (shared during the earliest stages
of the change)
• The business issues or drivers that create a need for change
• Competition or changes in the marketplace including customer issues
• Financial issues or trends
• What might happen if a change is not made (the risk of not making the
change)
What?
Messages about the change (shared after people understand the
business situation and business reasons for change)
Change versus Transition
Change
Transition
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Situational
Concrete
External
Ending
Psychological
Diverse
Internal
Starts with end
“Successful change is dependent upon a successful transition”
Managing Transitions – William Bridges
It’s like being between 2 trapezes
Endings
Neutral Zone
New Beginnings
About Endings
The biggest mistake leaders make is the
failure to think through who will have to let
go of what when change occurs
Managing Endings
•
•
•
•
•
Make it clear why the ending was necessary
Identify who is losing what
Acknowledge losses openly, with empathy
Expect signs of loss
Mark endings
"Change is hard because people overestimate
the value of what they have –
and underestimate the value of what they may
gain by giving that up."
James Belasco and Ralph Stayer
Flight of the Buffalo (1994)
About the Neutral Zone
Both challenging and opportune place and is at the
core of the transition process
It’s Linus when his blanket is in the dryer
“There is nothing to hang onto”
About The Neutral Zone
•
•
•
•
•
Anxiety and emotions rise
Motivation falls and productivity decreases
Systems are in flux
People tend to polarize
Confusion
Managing the Neutral Zone
•
•
•
•
•
•
Let people know this is natural – train them on
Transition
Develop a transition team - communicate and listen
Be clear on vision and the “why”
Provide focus
Set short term goals – avoid overambitious targets
Strengthen intra-group connections
About New Beginnings
• People make the new beginning only if they first made
an ending, and spent time in the neutral zone
• Most organizations start at the beginning
• Frequently on the road to getting better, things first get a
little worse
“People support a world they
help create”
Leadership Training for Managers: Dale Carnegie
Managing the New Beginning
•
•
•
•
•
Picture – what does the new look like?
Transition plan
Give people a part
Ensure quick wins
Celebrate successes – rewards reinforce the new
Leading Change
To lead effectively,
you must be able to connect and
communicate your agenda to others.
Most Critical Leadership Skills for
Dealing with People
Communication/listening
Effective people management skills
Emotional intelligence and empathy
Values and integrity
Vision
Empowerment
Ken Blanchard Companies Studies
43%
17%
15%
8%
6%
6%
Best Practices
What works for you when dealing with
The People Side of
Organizational Improvement?
The People Side of
Organizational Improvement
Pam Solberg-Tapper MHSA, PCC
Executive Coach/Leadership Development