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

Sense of Mastery in Change Continuum

Change is the Work of Leadership Leaders set the backdrop for change Providing The Organization with the Understanding of the Need for Change ✷ 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 CONFLICT Differences in needs, objectives and values Differences in perceiving motives, words, actions and situations 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 ✷ 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 ✷ 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 ✷ 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 ✷ Kai Zen: small change ✷ Support and feedback Infuse Organizational Values into everything you do ✷ 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 – Sharon A. Stone –