Session 1.3: Managing Organizational Change and Transition Module 1: Leadership and Team Building Leadership and Management Course for ZHRC Coordinators, HTI Principals, and ZHRC/HTI Management Teams

Learning Objectives By the end of the session, participants will be able to:  Describe the difference between change and transition.  Describe the 3 phases of transition.  Describe a change initiative in a complete, compelling, and practical way.  Apply a transition management model to an anticipated organizational change. 2

Organizational Change & Transition It is a terrible thing to look over your shoulder when you are trying to lead, and find no one there. - Franklin Delano Roosevelt Former U.S. President Changes of any sort succeed or fail on the basis of whether the people affected do things differently. - William Bridges

Types of Organizational Change 4  Change in leadership  Change in procedures  Change in environment  Change in structures  Change in national initiatives  Change in partnerships

Reacting to Change 5 Fear Happiness Anger Dissatisfaction Conflict Resistance Stress Uncertainty Confusion Excitement Changes in… Morale, Productivity, Motivation

Change & Transition  Change is situational. An event, or series of events: Move to a new site/location Retirement of leader, manager, etc.  Transition is psychological. A process that people go through as they come to terms with the details of a new situation. 6 It’s not the changes that do you in, it’s the transitions. - William Bridges

Transition  A process of dis-engaging from the old reality and fully engaging in a new reality.  Three phases in the process: Endings, Neutral Zone, New Beginnings May not follow a linear path Transition starts with an ending, and ends with a beginning.

Phases of Transition 8 Photo: Flickr.com, Steven Monty. Endings Neutral Zone NewBeginnings

Endings  Letting go of old ways.  Dealing with losses.  Transition begins with endings. 9

Neutral Zone  The old is gone; the new is not fully operational  Things are in a state of flux, and feelings of confusion or chaos are common!  It is a time of great opportunity Old habits are replaced New beginnings start emerging 10

New Beginnings  New identities  Fresh energy  New sense of purpose 11

Leading Through Transition  Do not overlook endings and neutral zones – you cannot start with the final stage of transition!  People will experience the feelings that come with transition, even if the process is overlooked.  Successful change requires that people move emotionally to a place where they can engage with the new reality. Successful change is 70-90% leadership, and only 10-30% management. - John P. Kotter

Preparing for Transition  Use a tool to assess transition readiness. Help to prepare and plan Generate ideas about areas for improvement  A specific score is not necessary – this is a planning tool. 13

Honoring Endings  Identify what is changing, and what is staying the same  Expect and accept staff feelings Anger, sadness, anxiety, confusion, denial, etc.  Compensate for losses  Mark the endings  Treat the past with respect  Offer information 14

Navigating the Neutral Zone  Use the neutral zone to your benefit Creativity, taking stock, testing ideas  Use a transition monitoring team  Experiment  Train on discovery, innovation  Embrace new solutions  Question the status quo  Listen to your staff’s ideas! 15

Four P’s of New Beginnings  Purpose What is the problem? How will this fix it? What’s the 1 minute message?  Picture Paint a picture of how it will look and feel. What is a compelling picture of a better tomorrow?  Plan What do we do on Monday?  Part to Play What is my role? 16 It can be done – play your part. - Mwalimu Julius Nyerere

Activity: Reactions to Change & the 4 P’s  A MOHSW Committee listened to a presentation from an NGO Program Officer.  Part 1: Members reacted differently. Why? 17 SadConfusedWorriedHappy  Part 2: Using the same scenario, work in groups to develop creative messages using the 4 P’s.

Key Questions of Transition  What is changing?  What will be different as a result?  Who is losing what? 18 It still surprises me how often organizations undertake changes that no one can describe very clearly. - William Bridges

Activity: Anticipating Transition  Think of a change that you anticipate in your organization.  Answer the questions in the worksheet.  Describe the change to a partner using the ideas in the worksheet.  Share feedback with each other.

Key Points  Reactions to change are often emotional, and can affect morale, productivity, and motivation.  Change is situational (an event); Transition is psychological (a process).  Transition starts with an ending and ends with a beginning.  The phases of transition are: endings, neutral zone, new beginnings.  Effectively communicating the change will make the transition easier.

Homework Assignment: Communication Style Assessment to Prepare for Tomorrow  Section A Circle only statements that describe you. Work quickly – do not think too long/hard!  Section B Circle one word in each pair of statements.  Section C Choose the word you would be most likely to say or use. Choose 1 of the 3 words given.  Complete the Answer Sheet 21