Models of Change John Pritchard Higher Education Academy

Models of Change Levels and Forms of Change Managing Change: Outcomes and Assumptions Directing and Shaping Change: Six Models (Palmer and Dunford 2008) Team Discussion Reflections

Levels and Forms of Change ALPHA LEVEL CHANGE Gradual, incremental, planned approach to change that cumulate over a period of time which focuses on changes to particular arenas within the university BETA LEVEL CHANGE Gradual, incremental emergent approach to change that develops over a period of time to cumulative and comprehensive change in the university GAMMA LEVEL CHANGE Revolutionary, transformational and comprehensive planned attempt to create change across the whole university. Paradigm shift. From Golembiewski/McAuley

Managing Change A simple enough term? Defining Outcomes: Intended and emergent Managing process: Controlling and shaping Palmer and Dunford (2008) Organizational Change and the Importance of Embedded Assumptions

Outcomes and assumptions Assumptions about change outcomes Assumptions about managing ControllingShaping Intended Partially intended Unintended Directing Navigating Caretaking Coaching Interpreting Nurturing

Directing

Vision: essential and early Communication: unambiguous, specific actions Resistance: can and must be overcome

Navigating Vision: blurring through competing stakeholders Communication: as a form of negotiation Resistance: focusing on those with greatest influence

Caretaking Change is inevitable...

Caretaking Vision: determined by inexorable forces Communication: focused on explaining inevitability and coping strategies Resistance: will decline naturally

Shaping Change Coaching Interpreting Nurturing

Coaching Vision: emerges through focused facilitation skills of leaders Communication: centred on emotional commitment to shared values Resistance: overcome through developing personal confidence and capability

Interpreting

Vision: articulating inner organisational voice, surfacing values and identity Communication: sensemaking: narrative, storytelling and metaphors Resistance: negative change scripts

Interpreting opportunities for creative realisation

Nurturing

Visions: are always temporary and being rewritten due to force of external change Communication: responsive and therapeutic Resistance: no significant effect

Models of Change Factors affecting choice of model: – Type of change – Institutional ethos – Phase of change – Simultaneous multiple changes – Preferences and skills of change manager

Models of Change Any approach to managing change will do... As long as it: – Animates people and gets them moving and experimenting – Provides a direction – Encourages closer attention to what is happening – Facilitates respectful interaction Karl Weick