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Four Basic Change Management Strategies

(See the Bennis, Benne & Chin reference) Note: The fourth and last strategy in the table below is not one of those presented by Bennis, Benne and Chin. It is instead the product of the authors own experiences during some ! years of ma"ing and adapting to changes in, to, and on behalf of organi#ations. $n excellent example of this strategy in action, albeit on an accelerated basis, is pro%ided by the way in which &upert 'urdoch handled the printers of (leet )treet. *e +uietly set about building an entirely new operation in ,apping, some distance away. ,hen it was ready to be occupied and made operational, he informed the employees in the old operation that he had some bad news and some good news. The bad news was that the existing operation was being shut down. -%eryone was being fired. The good news was that the new operation had .obs for all of them/but on %ery different terms, that there are also elements of the -mpircal0 &ational and power0coerci%e strategies at play here ser%es to ma"e the point that successful change efforts ine%itably in%ol%e some mix of these basic change strategies, a point that is elaborated on below. Strategy Empirical-Rational Description People are rational and will follow their self-interest once it is revealed to them. Change is based on the comm nication of information and the proffering of incentives. People are social beings and will adhere to c lt ral norms and val es. Change is based on redefining and reinterpreting e!isting norms and val es, and developing commitments to new ones. People are basicall" compliant and will generall" do what the" are told or can be made to do. Change is based on the e!ercise of a thorit" and the imposition of sanctions.

Normative-Reeducative

Power-Coercive

Environmental-Adaptive People oppose loss and disr ption b t the" adapt readil" to new circ mstances. Change is based on b ilding a new organi#ation and grad all" transferring people from the old one to the new one. Factors in Selecting A Change Strategy $enerall" spea%ing, there is no single change strateg". &o can adopt a general or what is called a 'grand strateg"' b t, for an" given initiative, "o are best served b" some mi! of strategies. (hich of the preceding strategies to se in "o r mi! of strategies is a decision affected b" a n mber of factors. Some of the more important ones follow.

Degree of Resistance. Strong resistance arg es for a co pling of power-coercive and environmental-adaptive strategies. (ea% resistance or conc rrence arg es for a combination of )mpircal-*ational and normative-reed cative strategies. Target Population. +arge pop lations arg e for a mi! of all fo r strategies, something for ever"one so to spea%. The Sta es. ,igh sta%es arg e for a mi! of all fo r strategies. (hen the sta%es are high, nothing can be left to chance. The Time !rame. Short time frames arg e for a power-coercive strateg". +onger time frames arg e for a mi! of empirical-rational, normative-reed cative, and environmentaladaptive strategies. E"pertise. ,aving available ade- ate e!pertise at ma%ing change arg es for some mi! of the strategies o tlined above. .ot having it available arg es for reliance on the powercoercive strateg". Dependenc#. /his is a classic do ble-edged sword. 0f the organi#ation is dependent on its people, management1s abilit" to command or demand is limited. Conversel", if people are dependent pon the organi#ation, their abilit" to oppose or resist is limited. (2 t al dependenc" almost alwa"s signals a re- irement for some level of negotiation.)

One More Time: How do you manage change? /he honest answer is that "o manage it prett" m ch the same wa" "o 3d manage an"thing else of a t rb lent, mess", chaotic nat re, that is, "o don3t reall" manage it, "o grapple with it. 0t3s more a matter of leadership abilit" than management s%ill. 4. /he first thing to do is 5 mp in. &o can3t do an"thing abo t it from the o tside. 6. 7 clear sense of mission or p rpose is essential. /he simpler the mission statement the better. 89ic% ass in the mar%etplace: is a whole lot more meaningf l than 8*espond to mar%et needs with a range of prod cts 6. ts and services that have been caref ll" designed and developed to compare so favorabl" in o r c stomers3 e"es with the prod cts and services offered b" o r competitors that the ma5orit" of b "ing decisions will be made in o r favor.: ;. B ild a team. 8+one wolves: have their ses, b t managing change isn3t one of them. <n the other hand, the right %ind of lone wolf ma%es an e!cellent temporar" team leader. =. 2aintain a flat organi#ational team str ct re and rel" on minimal and informal reporting re- irements. >. Pic% people with relevant s%ills and high energ" levels. &o 3ll need both. ?. /oss o t the r leboo%. Change, b" definition, calls for a config red response, not adherence to prefig red ro tines. @. Shift to an action-feedbac% model. Plan and act in short intervals. Ao "o r anal"sis on the fl". .o length" p-front st dies, please. *emember the hare and the tortoise. B. Set fle!ible priorities. &o m st have the abilit" to drop what "o 3re doing and tend to something more important. C. /reat ever"thing as a temporar" meas re. Aon3t 8loc% in: ntil the last min te, and then insist on the right to change "o r mind. 4D. 7s% for vol nteers. &o 3ll be s rprised at who shows p. &o 3ll be pleasantl" s rprised b" what the" can do. 44. Eind a good 8straw boss: or team leader and sta" o t of his or her wa".

46. $ive the team members whatever the" as% for e!cept a thorit". /he"3ll generall" as% onl" for what the" reall" need in the wa" of reso rces. 0f the" start as%ing for a thorit", that3s a signal the"3re headed toward some %ind of power-based confrontation and that spells tro ble. .ip it in the b dF 4;. Concentrate dispersed %nowledge. Start and maintain an iss es logboo%. +et an"one go an"where and tal% to an"one abo t an"thing. 9eep the comm nications barriers low, widel" spaced, and easil" h rdled. 0nitiall", if things loo% chaotic, rela! the" are *emember, the tas% of change management is to bring order to a mess" sit ation, not pretend that it3s alread" well organi#ed and disciplined. Selected Sources 4. The 1lanning of Change (6nd )dition). (arren $. Bennis, 9enneth A. Benne, and *obert Chin ()ds.). ,olt, *inehart and (inston, .ew &or%G 4C?C. 6. *uman 1roblem )ol%ing. 7llen .ewell and ,erbert 7. Simon. Prentice-,all, )nglewood CliffsG 4C@6. ;. 2rgani#ations in $ction. Hames A. /hompson. 2c$raw-,ill, .ew &or%G 4C?@. httpGIIhome.att.netIJ@)nic%olsIchange.htm

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