Session 1.3
:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Describe the difference between change and transition.

Describe the three phases of transition.

Describe a change initiative in a complete, compelling, and practical way.

Apply a transition management model to an anticipated organizational change.
•
The aim of this session is to help you become leaders who effectively manage change.
•
Leaders are often in a position to introduce change as they work to bring their organizations or teams to higher levels of performance and create desired impact.
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This session is about how to get people to do things differently, and why it is challenging to do that!
Source: Bridges, William. 2003.
Managing Transitions. (2 nd
Ed.)
Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press.
•
This list reflects some common changes that organizations go through, including:
•
Change in leadership (retirement or relocation of a manager, supervisor, etc.)
•
Change in technical or administrative procedures (new forms, policies, technical processes, etc.)
•
Change in organizational structures
(management and supervision, team structures, etc.)
•
Changes in partnerships or relationships with other organizations or agencies
•
Responding to national initiatives or programs (such as scaling-up enrollment in health training institutions, vaccination campaigns, etc.)
•
Changes in the external environment
(large or small scale, examples might include change of political leaders, natural disasters, etc.)
Source: I-TECH.
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•
Reactions to change are almost always emotional!
•
These emotions can be positive or negative. They may include:
•
Happiness, Resistance, Stress,
Conflict, Uncertainty, Fear,
Confusion, Anger, Excitement,
Dissatisfaction, etc.
•
These feelings may cause a decrease or increase in morale, productivity, and motivation.
•
Reactions to change often depend on what is changing, and how people are affected by it.
Source: I-TECH.
•
The difference between change and transition is the key concept for this session.
•
Change is situational; Transition is psychological.
•
Change is an event, or series of events; Transition is the process of coming to terms with the new situation.
•
It is relatively easy to change an organizations’s structure (move boxes around, change reporting structure, put a new person in charge, etc.)
•
The hard part is getting people to embrace it and operate in the new reality as productively as possible.
Sources:
•
Bridges, William. 2003. Managing
Transitions. (2 nd
Ed.) Cambridge,
MA: Da Capo Press.
•
Wilkinson, Richard, I-TECH.
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•
Ultimately, transition is a process that involves dis-engagement from an old reality, and full engagement in a new reality.
• There are 3 phases in the process:
Endings, the Neutral Zone, and New
Beginnings.
•
Note that transition does not always follow a linear path.
•
It may be more accurate to think of endings, the neutral zone, and new beginnings as processes that are all necessary for successfully creating change.
•
The new beginning is the shore on the other side of the river.
• The ending is the shore that you’re trying to leave.
•
The river itself is the neutral zone – it may be wide, choppy, smooth, etc.
•
The main point of this picture is that change starts with an ending!
Sources:
•
Bridges, William. 2003. Managing
Transitions. (2 nd
Ed.) Cambridge,
MA: Da Capo Press.
•
Wilkinson, Richard, I-TECH.
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•
Think of a time in your personal or professional life when things changed significantly for you.
•
Perhaps you remember the birth of your first child, a time when you started a new job, a time when you moved to a new city.
•
Even though many of these changes may have been positive, you may have also experienced some loss.
•
For example, loss of free time, loss of an immediate network of friends and family, etc.
•
Transition begins with endings. This involves letting go of old ways, and dealing with feelings of loss.
Sources:
• Bridges, William. 2003. Managing
Transitions. (2 nd
Ed.) Cambridge,
MA: Da Capo Press.
•
Wilkinson, Richard, I-TECH.
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•
The neutral zone is a phase of transition where organizations are in flux. The old is gone, but the new is not yet fully operational.
• This phase can feel confusing and chaotic; however, almost any project starts in confusion because you haven’t done it yet!
• Remember that even though the neutral zone feels messy, it is normal.
•
Any thought put to preparing for the neutral zone is valuable.
•
The neutral zone can be unsettling; it is generally uncomfortable to work in an environment of confusion.
Sometimes, the neutral zone is associated with higher staff turnover.
However, trying to rush through or skip over the neutral zone jeopardizes the success of the change efforts.
• Try to see the neutral zone as a time for great opportunity. It is when old habits are replaced with new ones, and new beginnings start to emerge.
Source:
•
Bridges, William. 2003. Managing
Transitions. (2 nd
Ed.) Cambridge,
MA: Da Capo Press.
•
Wilkinson, Richard, I-TECH.
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•
When new beginnings arrive and organizations have worked through the processes of endings and the neutral zone, it is a time of great energy.
•
People are adapting to new realities – they have new identities or roles, and renewed motivation.
Note that although we call these phases, they are not always linear.
•
It may be more accurate to think of the 3 phases of transition as processes – sometimes, they are happening simultaneously – but all are necessary to successfully realize change.
Source:
• Bridges, William. 2003. Managing
Transitions. (2 nd
Ed.) Cambridge,
MA: Da Capo Press.
•
Wilkinson, Richard, I-TECH.
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Source:
•
Bridges, William. 2003. Managing Transitions. (2 nd
Ed.) Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press.
Wilkinson, Richard, I-TECH.
•
We will now focus on how we can demonstrate leadership during times of change and transition.
•
Navigating transition is a critical component of effective leadership and management.
•
We need to know how to lead and influence change both within and outside our organizations.
•
A common pitfall for leaders is to overlook endings and neutral zones, and try to start with the final stage of transition.
•
With a change, one naturally focuses on the end point, or the outcome that the change produces.
•
Transition is different, because the starting point is not the outcome, but is the situation that you are leaving behind.
•
Psychological change depends on letting go.
•
Even though organizations, managers, and leaders may overlook the process of transition, the people adapting to the change will still experience the feelings that come with transition – loss, fear, etc.
•
Without working with people, and moving them emotionally to a place where they can engage fully with the new reality, the change is not going to be successful.
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Refer to Handout 1.3.1: Assessing
Transition Readiness , on page 81 of the
Participant Handbook.
• This is an example of an assessment tool that can be helpful in preparing for transition within an organization.
( Note: this handout is just for reference.
We will not go over this during the presentation. You can look over this handout on your own later).
Source:
•
Bridges, William. 2003. Managing
Transitions. (2 nd
Ed.) Cambridge,
MA: Da Capo Press.
•
Wilkinson, Richard, I-TECH.
Refer participants to Handout 1.3.2:
Transition: 3-Phase Process , on page
85 of the Participant Handbook.
Source:
•
Bridges, William. 2003. Managing
Transitions. (2 nd
Ed.) Cambridge,
MA: Da Capo Press.
• Wilkinson, Richard, I-TECH.
Leadership and Management Course
Session 1.3: Managing Organizational Change and Transition
Refer to Handout 1.3.2: Transition: 3-
Phase Process , on page 85 of the
Participant Handbook.
•
The neutral zone is a time of great opportunity. It is a great time to think creatively, test ideas, and take stock.
•
Although it can feel messy, it is best used for identifying ways forward and fostering fresh thinking within your organization.
Source:
•
Bridges, William. 2003. Managing
Transitions. (2 nd
Ed.) Cambridge,
MA: Da Capo Press.
•
Wilkinson, Richard, I-TECH.
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Refer to Handout 1.3.2: Transition: 3-
Phase Process , on page 85 of the
Participant Handbook.
•
When you are managing transition, it is important to answer the 4 P’s of the new beginning.
•
Clarify the purpose.
• You have to sell the problem first.
•
Can you explain the problem and the purpose in a persuasive 1 minute message?
• Paint the picture.
•
What is a compelling picture of a better tomorrow?
•
How will it look and feel?
•
How are things going to be operating in a better way than before:
•
Make a plan.
• This is the, “So what?” question.
•
What do we do on Monday?
• What will we do when we are at work to implement this change?
•
Let people know the part they play.
•
What is the part that I should play in the process and the outcome?
•
Clarifying roles and responsibilities is critical in change initiatives.
•
Specify who is making decisions, who is accountable for the next steps, who is going to do what, etc.
Source:
•
Bridges, William. 2003. Managing
Transitions. (2 nd
Ed.) Cambridge,
MA: Da Capo Press.
•
Wilkinson, Richard, I-TECH.
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Refer to Worksheet 1.3.1: Reactions to
Change and the 4 P’s , on page 87 of the Participant Handbook.
•
Note for Part 1: there could be many responses to this activity; there are no “correct” answers. Possible responses can include cultural context, MOH interests and priorities, no logic model or role clarification, fear of the unknown, etc.
•
Note for Part 2: The focus of this part is to see how we can communicate using the 4 P’s so that our audience is less likely to be confused, sad, angry, worried, etc.
Sources:
•
Bridges, William. 2003. Managing
Transitions. (2 nd
Ed.) Cambridge,
MA: Da Capo Press.
•
Wilkinson, Richard, I-TECH.
•
All photos are from Microsoft Office
Clip Art Gallery.
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•
Anytime you are planning a change, these questions are critical to answer.
•
Describe the change.
•
Describe clearly what will be different as a result of the change.
•
Frequently, this is overlooked when leaders communicate about change. They may say something along the lines of, “We are creating a new subdivision and realigning teams.” But what does that really mean?
•
Spend some time thinking about who may be losing what as a result of this change.
•
Will someone lose power or prestige? Will their role be diminished? These issues can often expose areas where you may anticipate forces of resistance.
• William Bridges has written, “It still surprises me how often organizations undertake changes that no one can describe very clearly.”
Refer to Worksheet 1.3.2: Key
Questions of Transition , on page 91 of the Participant Handbook.
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Note: This handout will not be reviewed during the presentation. It is recommended to review this handout on your own.
This assessment was developed by William Bridges and Associates. www.wmbridges.com
Introduction to Assessment
Some organizational changes go smoothly, while others feel as though they are doomed from the start. While there are always unforeseen events and unavoidable situations that affect how a particular transition unfolds, there are also some general factors that make a transition go more or less smoothly. There are things that encourage people to let go of the old way of doing things; and other things that help people get through the uncertainties between the letting go and the beginning anew; and, finally, other things that make it easier for people to embrace the new way readily.
The assessment instrument that follows comes from years of studying organizations in transition and of seeking out the reasons for the very different fates they encountered. It has not yet been used on enough organizations to generate norms, but as a practical tool it has proved very useful. And so I am sharing it.
This assessment tool can be used in many different ways. An individual who wants a quick take on the organization's readiness can fill it out and get either reassurance or deeper concern from the results. But that is only one person's view, so consider giving it to a cross-section of people. How many? It depends on your purpose. If you are really trying to measure the climate in an organization before anything is done--and then comparing it to the results after transition-management actions have been taken--you'll probably want as many raters as you can get. But if your concern is just to demonstrate that people are showing some significant wear and tear from the transition that they are going through, then a carefully chosen crosssection dozen or two subjects may suffice.
However many participate, everyone should answer the questions from his or her own point of view. The views expressed here are individual--which is one reason that it may be useful to take them from multiple, and even divergent, perspectives. Anyone answering it should be honest and should resist the temptation to give an expected or the-way-it-ought-to-be answer.
It is meant to give you a snapshot of how things are now, not how they'll be when everything falls into place.
Continued on next page
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Choose one:
___ I am filling out this assessment for the organization as a whole.
___ I am filling it out for a particular site, department, or other part of our organization.
Which site/department/etc.? ___________________________
And answer this:
The change for which I am assessing our transition-readiness is as follows:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Answer each question with the following numbers:
4 = The statement is definitely true or accurate.
3 = The statement is largely (though maybe not completely) accurate or true.
2 = The statement is only partly true or accurate.
1 = This is only occasionally (but not very often) true
0 = The statement is utterly false.
Utterly False Definitely True
0 4
Statement No. Score
1. Most people think that the change in question is a necessary one.
2.
3.
Most people agree that—given the situation—the change represents the best way of dealing with it.
The organization's leaders have shown that they are committed to the change.
4. In general, the middle managers are behind the change.
5. So are the supervisors or first-line managers.
6.
7.
8.
The details of the change are being communicated to those who will be affected as quickly as it is practical to do so.
There are effective ways for employees to feed back their concerns and questions about the change.
And those concerns and questions have, thus far, been responded to in a pretty honest and timely way.
9.
10.
There aren't a lot of old scars or unresolved issues around here.
The organization has a history of handling change pretty well.
11.
12.
The organization's leadership has a history of doing what it says it will do.
...and of saying what it is going to do before it does it.
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13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
I think that if this is what the leadership wants to do, that they can pull it off successfully.
Decisions generally get made in a timely fashion around here.
When people get new roles or tasks, they can usually count on getting the training and coaching that they need to do them.
When faced with new and challenging situations, the organization forgets turf-issues and gets problems solved.
It is safe to take an "intelligent" risk in this organization; failure in a good cause or for a good reason isn't punished.
There is a pretty widely understood vision of what the organization is seeking to become and to accomplish.
While the higher-ranking people obviously get paid more, we feel like we're all in this thing together.
People's commitment to their work here is as high as it was a year ago.
Although the pace and extent of change around here is great, it is also workable.
Management generally practices what it preaches.
23.
24.
25.
There is basically no argument about what the organization's problems are around here.
The organization's leadership generally shows an awareness of and concern for how change will affect the rest of us.
People generally understand how things will be different when the change is finished.
TOTAL SCORE (Sum total of all scores)
Evaluating the Results
If several people are filling out this form, add the scores together question-by-question, so that you can say what the "average" answer was on each item, as well as on the assessment as a whole. That way, you can identify weak links in the transition-management chain, as well as areas where things are pretty solid. It is useful to have an impersonal way to evaluate whether people think that the organization has a vision of the future or not—or whether the leadership is trustworthy. These are charged subjects, and it helps to be able to raise them in a way that doesn't blame.
In addition to giving you a read on the organization's strengths and weaknesses in terms of transition manageability, it can be used to measure changes over time--before-and-after results, to measure the impact of an announcement, an intervention, a problem that arises, a positive development that takes place. It can also measure transition readiness in relation to different changes. And finally, it can also measure differences between the climate in two parts of the organization or at two different levels of the hierarchy.
However you use it--whether informally with a handful of people or in an official all-hands survey-the Transition Readiness Assessment will provide you with objective data to help you prepare for a time of transition, to deal with it, and to measure how well you handled it when it has passed.
Source: William Bridges and Associates. 2004. Organizations In Transition, vol. 13, #4. www.wmbridges.com
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- William Bridges
Change and transition are not the same thing.

Change is situational.

Transition is psychological. It is a 3-phase process that people go through as they internalize and come to terms with the details of the new situation that the change brings
E n d i i n g s s
N e u t t r a l l
Z o n e
N e w
B e g i i n n i i n g s
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Instructions

Your trainer will divide the class into small groups and introduce the scenario.

In your small group, you will first discuss and brainstorm on your assigned group’s reaction to change in Part 1.

Then, you will be trying to articulate one of the 4 Ps for the scenario in Part 2.

Be prepared to share responses with the class.
Scenario
An eager NGO program officer met with an MOHSW committee about a condom distribution initiative using theater and song. He told them…
 “This is a great initiative! Very innovative!”
 “This program will be fun and effective!”
 “This program will be transformational!”
 “You need this program!”
 “Let’s get started!”
Part 1:
Members of the MOHSW committee all heard the same presentation from the NGO program officer, but have different reactions. Why might each member of the committee react they way that they do?
Part 2:
How can this scenario be presented so that it effectively addresses the 4 P’s? Focus on how to communicate using the 4 P’s so that the audience is less likely to be confused, sad, angry, worried, etc.
Group 1
After listening to the scenario, why is this person sad?
What is the purpose in the scenario?
Continued on the next page.
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Group 2
After listening to the scenario, why is this person confused?
What is the picture of the better tomorrow in the scenario?
Group 3
After listening to the scenario, why is this person uncertain?
What is the plan in the scenario? (i.e., What do we do on Monday?)
Continued on the next page.
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Group 4
Group 4
After listening to the scenario, why is this person happy?
What is the part you want people to play in the scenario?
Adapted from Richard Wilkinson, International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH). University of Washington, Seattle.
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Instructions

Consider a change that you anticipate in your organization.

Answer the following questions as clearly as you can.
Adapted from:
 Bridges, William and Associates. 2004. “The Three Questions.” Organizations In Transition, vol. 13, #2.
Retrieved from: http://www.wmbridges.com/articles/article-three_questions.html
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Refer to these materials for additional background reading, as needed.

Bridges, William. 2003. Managing Transitions. 2 nd Ed. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Da Capo
Press.
 Bridges, William and Associates. 2004. “Assessing Transition Readiness.” Organizations In
Transition , vol. 13, #4. Retrieved from: http://www.wmbridges.com/articles/assessment_tools.html
 Bridges, William and Associates. 2004. “The Three Questions.” Organizations In Transition, vol.
13, #2. Retrieved from: http://www.wmbridges.com/articles/article-three_questions.html

Management Sciences for Health. 2005. Managers Who Lead: A Handbook for Improving Health
Services. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MSH.
 The Thiagi Group. 2007. “Jolt: Quick Change.” Thiagi Gameletter. Retrieved from
 http://www.thiagi.com/pfp/IE4H/june2007.html#Jolt .
Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development. 2004. Learning and Leading Toolkit, page 34. Retrieved from: http://www.theinnovationcenter.org/files/leading_change_learning_and_leading.pdf
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