The Action Mindset: Managing Change

1
The Action Mindset Managing Change

• OS608
• December 11, 2006
• Fisher

2
Agenda

• A model of organizational change
• Resistance to change
• Overcoming resistance to change

3
Importance of the Action Mindset

• The reason that we've fallen into this
  knowing-doing gap is this Doing something
  actually requires doing something! It means
  tackling the hard work of making something
  happen. It's much easier and much safer to sit
  around and have intellectual conversations, to
  gather large databases, to invest in technical
  infrastructure -- and never actually implement
  anything.
• Alan Webber interview with Jeffrey Pfeffer, Fast
  Company, June 2000

4
Lewins Change Model

• Provides a general framework with which to
  examine other ideas about change
• Three steps or phases of organizational change
• Unfreezing
• Change
• Refreezing

5
Role of the Manager/Leader

• Gosling and Mintzbergs example of a chariot
  pulled by wild horses (p. 7)
• whipping the horses into a frenzy?
• holding a steady course?
• Detecting the need for change
• Top-down, strategic
• Bottom-up, emergent

6
Logic vs. emotion in unfreezing stage

• Deutschmann suggests data and facts are not
  really persuasive in creating a need for change?
  Do you agree? Why or why not?
• Emotional appeals for change
• Why not fear? Isnt fear an emotion?
• Cynicism often derails efforts to communicate the
  value of change.

7
Time Frame is important

• Reason for change must be proximal
• Short term vs. long term thinking
• Need early reinforcement of change
• short term wins
• Providing immediate support for the change

8
Magnitude of Change

• Incremental vs. framebreaking
• Incremental is often viewed as easier because
  less behavioral change is required.
• Deutschmann suggests framebreaking change is
  actually easier. Why?

9
Four factor model of change management

• Duration of the project, or time between
  milestone reviews
• Integrity of the project leader/team
• Commitment
• Top managers (C1)
• Employees directly affected (C2)
• Effort required by the change
• Likelihood of change success D 2I 2C1 C2
  E

Source Sirkin, Keenan Jackson (Oct. 2005). The
Hard Side of Change Management, HBR, 109-118.
10
External Change Agents

• What is the role of the external change agent?
• Is an external agent more or less effective in
  facilitating change?

11
For Wednesday

• Both sections will meet together at 1100 in 214
• No new readings
• Course wrap up, evaluations
• Will discuss final exam further as needed