1. EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND Change
2015 – Women in Educational Leadership
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND Change

2. Agenda
Organizational/Institutional and Personal Change – what does the research say?
Change Management Tools
The emotional stages of Change
The “Change House”
Managing Change at Dilworth – Appraisal

3. Research on Organizational/Institutional and Personal Change

4. Engagement and Change…the research
Institutions embracing change positively repeatedly report success across both Productivity, Result and Engagement targets
Learning how to deal effectively with first-time or changing situations is more predictive of long-term potential or performance than is raw intelligence
93% of High Potentials are High Performers; Only 29% of High Performers are High Potentials
Change Management Strategies ensure organizations remain current and operational
Individuals who embrace and promote change report greater levels of career/job success and engagement
Individuals embrace change when they understand it, see the benefits of it, are supported practically and emotionally through it and feel that they are able to contribute positively to it.
Source: Organizational and Individual engagement, Kinexa 2013
Source: Ashridge University, Princeton University, London School of Management, 2012

5. Why its tough… Future Current State State Transition State
Change requires “unfreezing” or letting go of the status quo – and that’s uncomfortable
Anticipate that some people will try to quickly (perhaps too quickly) establish a new stability (re-freeze)
Pain of the status quo or attraction of desired state must exceed the discomfort of the transition state
Anticipate that some will fight to keep or re-create the past
Recognize that the transition state can be a period of great opportunity (for you and others)
Unfamiliar, risky
Unknown
Controls not
understood
New roles
•Familiar
•Comfortable
•Can be
controlled
•Roles are
understood
Letting go of the old
•Taking on the new
•Changes everywhere
•Feelings of loss,
anxiety, gain

6. Change Management Tools -The Change Curve -The Change House

7. The Change Curve - The emotional stages of change:
comfort
complacency
awareness
denial & indifference
resistance cynicism
understanding
engagement & curiosity
acceptance
enthusiasm
excitement
commitment
ownership
evolution
“Pain of the status quo or attraction of desired state must exceed the discomfort of the transition state for change to be bought into and successful”
We need to acknowledge and recognise that not everyone in on the same stage of the change curve.
If we are someone that is towards the right hand side, think about what you can do to help others along the process.
Be aware of how our behaviour impacts others – the shadow we create
Think of the X axis as change timeline and the Y axis as the level of positive buy-in to the change.
Where do you as a Leader sit in relation to this Change Strategy?
© J M Fisher. Not to be sold or published. Sole risk with user. A free resource from 7

8. At Last something’s going to change !
Moving Forward
This can work and be good
What impact will this have?
How will it affect me?
Denial
Anxiety
Can I cope ?
Happiness
At Last something’s going to change !
Change?
What Change?
Gradual Acceptance
I can see myself in the future
This is bigger than I thought!
Disillusionment
I’m off!! … this isn’t for me!
Did I really do that
Who am I?
We need to acknowledge and recognise that not everyone in on the same stage of the change curve.
It’s a bit like descending into a valley then coming back up
Must know how a person is responding to know how best to work with them
Can’t expect the same action to help everyone (it’s why a team “pep talk” only goes so far)
Different people need different actions to help them work through the change
You fall along the continuum too!
Be aware of how our behaviour impacts others – the shadow we create
Think of the X axis as change timeline and the Y axis as the level of positive buy-in to the change.
Fear
I’ll make this work if it kills me!!
Threat
Guilt
Depression
Hostility
© J M Fisher. Not to be sold or published. Sole risk with user. A free resource from 8

9. Supporting Personal Change
External Data
Head up/out
Work through feedback
Cross boundary exposure
Hold back rewards
Job rotation
Office moves
External Data
Role models
Spell out current reality & consequences
Listen
Avoid providing solutions / quick fixes
Recognise efforts/acknowledge the past but don't get stuck in it
Focus / and Prioritise
Identify first / small steps
Increase personal accountability
Their solutions not yours
Encourage experiments & review
Build confidence / competence
Praise early success
Continue development challenge
Keep providing feedback
Stretch performance targets
Celebrate success but link to new targets
Challenge assumptions about change

10. Change
House
Source Claes Janssen

11. Change
House
THE
CONTENTMENT
ROOM
Source Claes Janssen

12. Evidence of Contentment
"We are the best!”
"Let's postpone it!”
"Why should we do it?”
Arrogance
Very bureaucratic
Lots of internal publications
"Lets talk about details”
"Lets talk about us”
Ignoring the outside world
often with disempowered boundary workers and layers of poor communication

13. Change
House
THE
CONTENTMENT
ROOM
THE
DENIAL
ROOM
Source Claes Janssen

14. Evidence of Denial "They are responsible” "Yes, but.....”
Circumstances are responsible.....”
Finger-pointing
Prophets ejected
Persecute the innocent
Protect the guilty
High aggression
Defensive behaviour
"It can't happen to us"

15. Change House THE CONTENTMENT ROOM THE THE DENIAL CONFUSION ROOM ROOM
Source Claes Janssen

16. Evidence of Confusion Hire and fire! A new strategy every day! Panic!
Lots of uncoordinated initiatives
Lost in the fog!
Consultants in large numbers
Hiring from outside
Tower of Babel

17. Change House THE CONTENTMENT ROOM THE RENEWAL ROOM THE DENIAL ROOM THE
CONFUSION
ROOM
Source Claes Janssen

18. Evidence of Renewal "Let's do it together” "Let's make it happen!”
High motivation and energy
Constructive spirit
No lip service
Clarity and light
Dynamism
Taking responsibility
Trust / delegation
Focus
Continuous improvement in things that matter

19. Change House THE CONTENTMENT ROOM THE RENEWAL ROOM THE DENIAL ROOM THE
CONFUSION
ROOM
Source Claes Janssen

20. Change House THE CONTENTMENT ROOM THE RENEWAL ROOM THE DENIAL ROOM THE
SUN
LOUNGE
THE
DENIAL
ROOM
THE
CONFUSION
ROOM
WRONG
DIRECTION
DOOR
DUNGEON
OF DENIAL
PARALYSIS
PIT
Source Claes Janssen

21. From Contentment To Denial
Get people to benchmark
Get people to look outside the company
Provide data / stories on how well other institutions are doing
Provide data/stories on how poorly like institutions are performing
Provide a symbolic shock
Provide outlaws with a platform
Spread discontent

22. From Denial To Confusion
Continue benchmarking / outside feedback
Expose the majority of the employees to the problem
Avoid providing solutions
Support those with energy looking for solutions
Remove those who persecute and are really stuck in denial
Don't tell, do - increase the shocks – working differently, re-structure (less hierarchical), not tolerating poor behaviour, support those who are willing but struggling and start behaving differently

23. From Confusion To Renewal
Provide a vision and a direction
Sell solutions, consult, don't tell!
Focus on the first steps
Set demanding but attainable goals
Keep feeding back results quickly
Use cross-functional teams
Reward new behaviours / performance
Encourage experimentation

24. Preventing Slippage Into Contentment
Constantly review performance targets
Keep providing feedback - both internal and external
Keep refining and transmitting the strategy
Celebrate success but always link to new targets / objectives / visions
Seek to change mental maps of change
Seek next change issue

25. Change House THE CONTENTMENT ROOM THE RENEWAL ROOM THE DENIAL ROOM THE
SUN
LOUNGE
THE
DENIAL
ROOM
THE
CONFUSION
ROOM
WRONG
DIRECTION
DOOR
DUNGEON
OF DENIAL
PARALYSIS
PIT
Source Claes Janssen

26. Change House: Key Messages
You can only go one way through the house - but slippage and 'death' is possible in the first three rooms
Different groups will be in different rooms, for different time spans...…
.....and you need different strategies to move them on
Human capacity for denial and optimism is infinite
There is no end point

27. Appraisal at Dilworth – a Case Study in change

28. Appraisal at Dilworth – Case Study
Performance Appraisal as a continuous improvement change strategy
Including “What” and “How” based goals
Gain trust, open communication, support emotional challenges, explain rationale, share benefits
Change Curve – Full Team
Change House Exercise – Management Team and HOD’s

29. Behavioural Goals…the “How” - key to engagement

30. Concept of change is hardly new…
“Very often change of self is needed more than a change of scene.”
Bob Dylan, Poet and Musician
“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
Charles Darwin, English Naturalist
“Things do not change, we change.”
Henry David Thoreau, US Author, Naturalist
“When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge.”
Nancy Thayer, American Author
“Readjusting is a painful process but most of us need it at one time or another.”
Arthur Christopher Bensen, English Author 30