Managing Change
in the Workplace
M. Lisa Dugan
Director, Humboldt County CSS
Sharon A. Stone
Director, Butte County CSS
The Ultimate Change Agent
Change Is Coming
What’s Heading in Your Direction?
What Comprises an
Organization’s Culture?
“…an organization’s culture comprises an
interlocking set of goals, roles, processes,
values, communications practices, attitudes
and assumptions.”
Steve Denning, Author and former World Bank
Director of Knowledge Management
Why Do We Need to Change Our
Organizational Cultures?
Culture eats strategy for breakfast
~ Peter Drucker
Ice Breaker
Cross Your Arms
Clasp Your Hands
Change Management and Neuroscience
Why is change often difficult to
implement in organizations?
Fear of Change!
SCARF Model
In a world of increasing interconnectedness
and rapid change, there is a growing need
to improve the way people work together.
Understanding the true drivers of human
social behavior is becoming ever more
urgent in this environment.
Approach Response – Maximize Reward
Synonyms in Literature
Advance, attack, reward, resource, expand, solution,
strength, construct, engage.
Primary Factors that Activate the Response
Rewards in form of money, food, water, shelter,
physical assets for survival.
Social Factors/Situations that Activate the Response
Happy, attractive faces. Rewards in the form of
increasing status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness,
fairness.
Avoid Response – Minimize Reward
Synonyms in Literature
Withdraw, retreat, danger, threat, contract, problem,
weakness, deconstruct.
Primary Factors that Activate the Response
Punishment in form of removal of money or other
resources or threats like a large hungry predator or a
gun.
Social Factors/Situations that Activate the Response
Fearful, unattractive, unfamiliar faces. Threats in the
forming of decreasing status, certainly, autonomy,
relatedness, fairness.
The Two “Biggies”
Uncertainty →Reduce the threat from uncertainty
→Increase the reward from certainty
Autonomy –
→Reducing autonomy threat
→Increasing rewards from autonomy
Typical 3-Step Change Model
1. Unfreezing – where we begin to think differently
about the existing reality and process
2. Movement – where we head towards a new
equilibrium, seeing the problem from a new
perspective
3. Refreezing – where we consolidate the new
beliefs and behaviors and fully integrate them into
our daily work
What Can We Learn From Neuroscience?
In Step One (Unfreezing) - we could need to
accentuate the positives in the change with the
hope of balancing the resistant forces out.
In Step Two (Movement) - we could teach team
members the skills of reappraisal.
In Step Three (Refreezing) – we could remind
team members that the more we adjust to new
ideas and perform new processes, the more they
become hardwired in our brain.
LET’S TALK ABOUT CHANGE
Change Rule #1
If I’m not a part of the planning of the change, I will
resist it more strongly
Anecdote: Involve those who you know to be
resistors up front
Change Rule #2
If I do not see the need for the change, I will resist it
Anecdote: Be the inspiration and make a compelling
case for change, become a storyteller
Change Rule #3
My job is going to change and I am fearful that I
will no longer be necessary
Anecdote: Communicate to people their value to
the organization
Change Rule #4
My job will change and I am fearful that I will no
longer be good at what I do
Anecdote: Acknowledge fear and assure people
that there will be plenty of support for them as they
change and become masters of new ways of
thinking and doing
More Detailed Phases of Change
Shock - A realization that my comfortable and known ways of doing things are not
suitable for current or future conditions.
Denial - The changes won’t effect me; there really is no need for change; I refuse to
change.
Rational Understanding – I begin to understand the need for change.
Emotional Acceptance - Sometimes the “crisis” stage where it is
understood that I will need to adapt
Exercising & Learning - Acceptance makes way for the learning to
begin. Simple, easier projects or steps in the beginning can lead to the feeling that I
am a success
Realization – As learning continues a feedback loop is created and I begin to
understand which behavior is effective in each situation, opening my mind further to
the experience
Integration – My new behaviors become routine
http://www.themanager.org/strategy/change_phases.htm
Sense of Mastery in Change Continuum
http://www.themanager.org/strategy/change_phases.htm
Change is the Work of Leadership
Leaders set the backdrop for change
Providing The Organization with the Understanding of the
Need for Change
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People do not respond to change for the sake of change,
rather they respond when they understand the underlying
need
Create more leaders
Communicate Vision
Understand and Work with Human Response to Change
The Nature of Conflict
Differences in needs, objectives
and values
Differences in perceiving
motives, words, actions and
situations
CONFLICT
Differing expectations of outcomes
- favorable versus unfavorable
Unwillingness to work
through issues, collaborate,
or compromise
Conflict Resolution Styles
Avoidance -
Non-confrontational. Ignores or passes over
issues. Denies issues are a problem.
Accommodating - Agreeable, non-assertive behavior.
Cooperative even at the expense of personal
goals.
Win/Lose Confrontational, assertive and aggressive.
Must win at any cost.
Compromising - Important all parties achieve basic goals
and maintain good relationship. Aggressive
but cooperative.
Problem Solving - Needs of both parties are legitimate and
important. High respect for mutual support.
Assertive and cooperative.
When team members understand the nature
of conflict and constructive methods to
resolve it, they can usually work out
disagreements themselves. When they
can’t, or when the problem requires your
intervention for other reasons, you may have
to engineer a solution.
Communication!
People are the only creatures who can talk themselves into
trouble - Fortunately, they can also communicate their way
out of trouble.
The ability to communicate is a vital factor in any manager’s
success.
With it, you can:
• Send and receive important information
• Seek clarification
• Offer clarification
• Persuade
• Demonstrate an interest in all those around you!
Communication, Lots and Lots of
Communication
Think about how you intend to communicate the plan
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Who is your audience?
Specifically engage the Contrarians!
Why is this change important to your organization and
to those affected?
What’s your message?
Who is best to deliver it?
How will you best relay it?
• One-on-one/team/department?
• In person/writing?
Organizational Values and
Culture Change
Create values as an entire organization
Infuse your values throughout your workplace
✷ Visible throughout the building
✷ A foundation for recognition programs
✷ As goal setting in coaching and/or evaluations
✷ As part of hiring and promotional consideration
Model the values that are agreed upon
Do not ignore behavior that does not fit your culture
Tools to Lessen Resistance
Storytelling: creating a compelling reason for changes
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Communicate from the “why” perspective
Tie the changes back to your organization’s set of
Values, Vision, and Mission
Tell the story of the history of your organization
Listen to and Acknowledge Fear
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Acknowledging fear aloud instantly cuts it in half,
moves it from the emotional brain center to the
rational brain center
Communicate early and often, inspire and reassure
Set out a plan to help staff regain mastery
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Kai Zen: small change
Support and feedback
Infuse Organizational Values into everything you do
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Praise the good, correct the mis-steps
Putting Concepts to Work
Let’s Develop An Action Plan –
Include “Communication” in the Plan
Once Plan is Developed Ask all the “drafters” of the plan to verbally “Support the
Plan”
Ask for commitment, from all management, to stay on
message
Review the plan to see if its working
Don’t be afraid to modify the plan when expected
outcomes aren’t being achieved
Debrief!
Examples of Culture Change
Real substantial culture change takes time, no
silver bullet
New employees quicken the pace
Eat, sleep, and breathe the changes you desire
Start with those who are excited about the change
and create more change agents
Communicate in many ways
Celebrate the small wins
Listen to your employees and honor their
experience
Questions?
Thank you!
Credits:
Change Management and Neuroscience, Mark R. Stephens
Communication Briefings, Communication Publications and Resources
Good to Great , Jim Collins
How Do You Change An Organization Culture?, Steve Denning in Forbes Online
SCARF: a brain-based model for collaborating with and influencing others, David Rock
Storytelling In Organizations, John S. Brown, Stephen Denning, Katalina Groh, Laurence
Prusak
Team Building – An Exercise in Leadership, Robert B. Maddux
The Neuroscience of Change, Kelly McGonigal
Three-Step Model Change Theory, Kurt Lewin
M. Lisa Dugan –
mldugan@co.humboldt.ca.us
Sharon A. Stone –
sstone@buttecounty.net