Thriving on Change
Turning Challenge into Success
Presented By :
Northern Employee Assistance Services
Change
The only thing we know for
certain about the future is
that it will bring change.
Our History
• From 1940 to 1990, we experienced 50 years of
change.
• From 1990 to 2000, we experienced 50 years of
change.
• From 2000 – 2005, we will experience another 50
years of change!!!!
In the last 10-15 years you have actually lived
through 100-150 years of change!!
Three Reactions to Change
• Reactive
• Passive
• Proactive
The Circle of Change
• Change is a reality for every living
thing.
• Being a problem solver means more
change.
• The continuous circle of change can
not be ignored.
Circle of Change
Present
Change
Solution
Problem
Preparing for Change
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Why is change needed?
Exactly what do you want the end result to be?
What is going to change?
How do we position the change as positive?
Where are we most vulnerable?
What are the key success factors in making
this work?
Organizations don’t
change: people do!
Five Components of Change
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Strategy
Roles and responsibilities
Systems and technology
Training
Common values
Change: It’s Not All Bad
Change can present excellent
opportunities…or serious
challenges!
Steps to Change
• Describe the change
What triggered it?
What is it’s exact nature?
How does the change effect you?
Who is responsible for implementation?
What monitoring will be done?
Recognize the Source of
Implementation
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Boss or management-imposed
System-imposed
Customer-imposed
Self-imposed
Key Conditions that Demand
Change
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Technology
Prosperity pockets
Competition
Human capital
Individual responsibility
Five Steps to Conquer Change
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Resistance
Uncertainty
Assimilation
Transference
Integration
Step One
• Denial
• Passive resistance
• Active resistance
Step Two:
Uncertainty
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Will it work?
Will it leave us behind?
Making sure the change will include us.
Look for ways it can be used to our
advantage.
• Lots of questions, few answers.
Step Three: Assimilation
• Slowly begin to try it.
• Confidence builds with familiarity.
• We use the change to our advantage.
Step Four:Transference
• Slowly the new process replaces the old.
• As the replacement continues we begin to
appreciate the process.
• We realize it’s better than the old way.
Step Five: Integration
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Finally accept the change.
Wonder what we ever did without it.
Feel in control again.
Change has become part of our routine.
What Keeps Us Going?
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Challenge
Personal Satisfaction
Rewards
Fear
One of the changes that incite
the most fear in people is the
change in the underlying
attitudes of an organization.
Ask yourself the following:
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Can I do this?
Am I the one to do this?
Should my job be redefined?
Is retraining/education available?
Is it worth doing?
Do we have time?
What is the bottom line impact?
One of the chief causes of
workplace stress is responsibility
without authority.
Realities of Organizational Change
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More accountability
Greater need for leadership
Greater emphasis on teamwork
Intense involvement with people
Greater ambiguity concerning authority
Increased involvement of the whole person
Greater emphasis on individuality
More stress
Continual learning
People should expect to
• Receive affirmation of their strengths &
skills
• Receive encouragement for their struggles
• Receive rewards for positive contributions
In turn they should:
• Provide clear leadership where needed
• Offer information & advise on subjects in
which they have knowledge & expertise
• Contribute their own vision & ideas to the
organization
• Encourage & train those who need
assistance
The New Managers
• People from top are walking around talking
to people of all levels
• People at the bottom feel safe talking to
people of all levels of management &
passing on information and ideas
• Middle managers as as information conduits
to all levels
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• People on all levels feel free to approach
and deal with problems involving customer
service.
• Have spending authority over reasonable
amounts that reflect the scope of their
responsibilities
More Accountability
• Meet preset goals
• Meet performance standards
• Be proactive in meeting goals & standards
Each person in today’s
organization is:
• Accountable to the team
• Accountable to management
• Accountable to self
Leaders of today must
• Challenge people with a clearly defined
vision
• Motivate people with internal rewards
• Communicate with information and
feedback
• Listen carefully and constantly
Greater Emphasis on Teamwork
• Members are:
– Accountable to one another
– Self managing
– Task oriented
To be effective
• Meet once a week
• Work in teams of no more than 15
• Develop their own goals & performance
indicators
The Fear Driven Employee
• Sees change as:
– An economic threat – loss of job
– A psychological threat – loss of security
– A social threat – loss of power or authority
Fear Causes
• This fear causes them to depend on
leadership
• They want others to tell them what, how,
when, & why to do it.
This translates to:
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Lack of initiative
Apathy
Passivity
They become “yes men”
Sometimes passive aggressive waste
valuable time covering themselves,
document to justify existence, eventually
burnout
Managing a Fear Driven
Employee
1) Keep them informed
2) Establish short term goals
3) Measurable baby steps targets for
completion
4) Be sensitive to high needs for reassurance
5) Insure they feel part of the team
6) Publicly and privately praise them
The Productive Person
• Works from a base of security in their
abilities
• Uses change to increase own productivity
• Trusts leadership
• Knows they are part of the team
• Believes their contribution matters
They work best when:
• Challenged and motivated to go beyond
abilities & outside their comfort zones
• Change provides the stimulation that keeps
them at their jobs
Entitlement Driven Employees
• Feel they are entitled to good pay, reasonable job
security, stability & routine regardless of their job
performance
• They put in “face” time, their face is present but
their brain & body are not participating in
productivity
• Main goal is status quo – any changes are suspect
• First to resist change
• Level of complacency is high
• Impact on organization can be devastating
in lowered productivity & morale
• Play it by the book
• Conformity is a protective shell
Entitlement Driven Employees
avoid:
• Assessment – don’t want to set goals let
alone measure them.
• Measure their work against others meeting
standards set by supervisors
• Engaging in any kind of performance
appraisal
How to Manage Entitlement
Driven Persons
1) Give specific meaningful tasks
2) Build in opportunity for success – Let
them know why their work is important
3) Keep individual accountable for
performance
4) State specific goals & expectations
5) Train to ensure full understanding
6) Accept no excuses
7) Conduct regular evaluations
8) Give almost instant feedback to increase
motivation
9) Ask for feedback on your assistance
10) Reward effort, skill development &
progress
They can change, circumvent, reinvent
and avoid rules and regulations if it
means getting the job done.
In other words they are empowered
with the authority to meet their goals.
Greater Emphasis on
Individuality
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Work-sharing programs
Flexible scheduling
Individual & team goals
Training & retraining programs
Opportunity for lateral movement
Whole Person Involvement
• Individuals are asked to make a
commitment to the organization through:
– Voluntary overtime to finish task
– Participation on special task forces or teams
– Voluntary education in areas relating to job
Reality = More Stress
• Increased frustration
• Increased Uncertainty
• Increased Doubt
Continual Training
• There is always something new to be
learned
• What you learned yesterday may be out of
date
• Only continual learning will keep you in the
game
• Lifelong learning must become a daily habit
Tips for Aspiring Change Agents
1) Be open to imput
2) Network!
3) Actively involve senior management at every
juncture
4) Document
5) Learn & share
6) Have no fear
7) Know the business before changing anything
8) Laugh a lot
9) Finish what you start
Personal Coping Styles
• The Entitled Employee
• The Productive Employee
• The Fear Employee