Managing Change or

Surviving Change

William Bridges’ Model (mostly) Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change William Bridges and Associates, Inc. DaCapo Press, 2003 (Addison Wesley, 1991)

Three Phases of Change Ending - letting go Transition - the neutral zone Beginning - making the change work

Bridges says: The change will happen. It’s the transition that we have to manage - helping people (or ourselves) through the three phases.

And transition is personal Even at work, transition is personal Whether you are leading change Whether you are supporting change Whether change is “happening to you”

Getting from here to there Uncharted territories Going where no one has gone before Those dark and scary places “Make it so.” John-Luc Picard Star Trek - The Next Generation

Is there a significant change happening in your life right now? At home? At work? In other parts of your life?

How are you reacting to it? Are you “in charge”? Are you orderly? Are you worried? Are you excited? Are you down? Some combination of stuff?

Endings - one view of the status quo If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We’ve always done it this way. Leave well enough alone.

Endings - another view Boring! Time for a change! We’ve been needing some excitement around here. We need to step outside of the box. We really can do this better. Let’s get on with it!!

Endings may be about grieving Anger Bargaining Anxiety Sadness Disorientation Depression And this goes home with all of us.

But, let’s get on with it!! Identify what we are losing Expect and accept the grieving Treat the past with respect Provide information and more information and more information Involve folks in the planning process Don’t drag this on. Get on with it!

Some endings Death of a loved one Leaving a job Graduating from school Separating from a loved one Child leaving home

Endings at work Shutting down the main frame Being transferred to a different unit Having a co-worker leave Having your boss leave Outsourcing a function Just moving to another building Being dismissed For some of us, retiring (finally)

And for most of us It’s scary!!. “Life is always either a tight-rope or a feather bed. Give me the tight-rope”. Edith Wharton

Your ending Tight rope or feather bed?? Why?

Transition

Andre Gide “One doesn’t discover new land without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time”.

Marilyn Ferguson “It’s not so much that we are afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it’s the place in between that we fear…. It’s Linus when his blanket is in the dryer. There is nothing to hold on to”.

Transition - Uncharted Territory Where the ghosts and goblins are Works for the adventurers Harder for the stay-at-homes Anxiety, blame, depression strike Illness strikes

Ambiguity increases Folks want answers At work, we have to keep doing the old while planning for and implementing the new We are tired Managers are mistrusted, second-guessed

But - this is the neutral zone Break-through ideas arise Break-through solutions are found The box is gone so thinking can be more creative

Obstacles in transition It takes longer than we expect Exaggerated expectations exist Skeptics are loud Procrastination is a problem Need for perfection can set in

Making transition easier Talk about the vision Set short term goals and measure progress in completing the goals Recognize out loud that this is hard and scary Begin definition of new roles

Listen to folks with new ideas Listen to the skeptics and the critics Listen to the fears (including your own) Modify transition plans as learning occurs Encourage risk taking Encourage creativity and innovation

Encourage progress, not perfection Don’t blame, don’t defend Tell the truth!!

Learning in transition Action - reflection - action Reflection Context - what happened? Process - how did it happen, what was the method used? Beliefs and assumptions - what was I thinking?

Organizational Learning Collective Action --- Results Collective Reflection --- Knowledge And the next action. No wars between thinking and doing.

Jobs for the leaders Communicate, communicate, communicate. Tell the truth. Don’t withhold information. Listen Check your understanding. Ask questions. Check out your assumptions. Change them when they are wrong.

Transitions you have known Losing site of the shore How do you find your way? How do you help others find their way?

Beginnings Messy Fragile A gamble Not synchronous for everyone Anxiety producing And a time for celebration

As a leader, your work is not done Some folks are settling in the new place Some folks have yet to let go of the old And some are still in the water looking for the new shore

Regardless - you need to celebrate!! Recognize that goals have been achieved. Recognize all the good work that has been done. Stop for a bit, smell the flowers. Invite your co-workers to do the same. Have a party!!

Become clear about: Roles and responsibilities for work to be done Standards and procedures Work flow Ongoing goals and expectations

But: Don’t become complacent Keep in mind that our organizations are learning organizations Be ready for the next change, but take a break first Think mandela!!

Putting it all together In your work place, what is the big change right now? Where is your organization in the change process - ending, transition, beginning? What is your role in this change process? What can you do for yourself to make the transition more successful? What can you do for those around you to support a successful transition and a new beginning?

Primary References Bridges, William. Managing Transition: Making the Most of Change, DaCapo, 2003 Geisel, Theodor Seuss. Oh, the Places You’ll Go!!, Random House, 1990 Schutz, Will. The Human Element: Productivity, Self Esteem and the Bottom Line, Jossey-Bass, 1994 Senge, Peter. The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, Doubleday and Co., 1994