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Myths and Realities of Change Management

Change management is open to sundry misinterpretations and misconceptions; hence it is important to clarify exactly what it is and what it is not. A study by Accenture (2011) captured the erroneous perceptions many managers have about change management, as well as the challenges that change management may pose for them.

Myth 1: People are willing to change their behaviour because leadership says so.

Most managers believe that the change will resolve itself because of leadership direction. Change management is viewed as an unnecessary component and instead of instituting the change, a change management program could ‘’drag’’ the change.

The reality is that, while change can be imposed externally, an internal process of transition needs to occur before an employee is psychologically ready to adjust to the change. This process needs to be acknowledged and managed, in order to ensure that the employee is prepared to contribute optimally in the new environment.

Sundry theories have been proposed by psychologists to explain this phenomenon. An example is the William Bridge’s model. William Bridges’ theory involves a three-phase process of Letting Go, The Neutral Zone and the New Beginning.

During the Letting Go stage, employees deal with their tangible and intangible losses and mentally prepare to move on

In the Neutral Zone, critical psychological realignments and re-patterning takes place. This is all about helping get employees through it, and capitalizing on all the confusion by encouraging them to be innovators.

In the New Beginning, employees develop the new identity, experience the new energy, and discover the new sense of purpose that make the change begin to work.

The responsibility of a change manager is to help the affected employees let go of the old ways of working and accept the new environment, in such a way that organizational objectives are achieved.

Myth 2: Change management is training

This is a common trap that many managers fall into when they equate change management with only training activities.

Experience has shown this misconception generally results in low adoption of the change.  A large European company illustrated this mistaken belief by using a one-day training session for an Enterprise Marketing Management system implementation as the only ‘’change management’’ activity for the end users. With no accountability associated with the use of the tool, the system was retired within 12 months due to lack of adoption and use.

Myth 3: The benefits of change management efforts are not quantifiable

Managers do not often see the value of change management as the benefits seem intangible.

On the contrary, research has shown that excellent change management leads to outstanding returns. A McKinsey study of 40 organizations (SMG Knowledge, 2014) found the return on investment differed greatly depending on the degree of change management employed for significant change projects such as enterprise software initiatives or mergers and acquisitions. When a comprehensive change management program was integral to the initiative – the return on investment averaged 143%. The return on investment for projects was 35% which employed either no or poor change management.

Apply the McKinsey findings to a million dollar technology deployment and the difference in derived value would be just over $1M ($1,080,000). If the organization spent an additional $200,000 on excellent change management services the ROI would be 440%. A compelling return, indeed.

Myth 4: Change Management is ‘’politicking and persuasion’’

Managers believe change management is synonymous with hand-holding and pandering to people’s emotions during a roller-coaster change. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

True, change management caters to the minds and emotions of employees, utilizing practices from various disciplines of psychology. However, change management also contributes to delivering solid bottom-line financial returns to the company.

Change management identifies opportunities for training and communications, as well as a multitude of other techniques to help change leaders overcome resistance, help people psychologically adjust to the changes, and accelerate necessary behavior changes that drive new business results.

Myth 5: Change Management should be targeted at end users only

Managers believe that change management efforts should be targeted mainly at the employees who are affected by a change. Hence, they believe a memo, a speech or an email should suffice for effective change management.

On the contrary, a comprehensive stakeholder analysis usually reveals that major organizational changes usually affect, not just employees, but external stakeholders, as well. Trade unions, government bodies, customers, vendors, suppliers and regulators are among the stakeholder groups who may also need to be informed about major organizational changes. These stakeholders usually have unique concerns and social styles which have to be taken into consideration to ensure full adoption of the new changes. Hence, the need for a well-coordinated communications and stakeholder management approach.

Myth 6: Change Management should be handled by Human Resources

Managers believe that change management projects fall within the ambit of Human Resources. Hence, they are reluctant to hire external change management consultants at the beginning of any major change initiative. However, as the complexity of the project builds, it soon becomes apparent that additional resources are required to co-ordinate the change management efforts.

In addition to the skills of external consultant, the leadership of the organization also needs to support the changes by ‘’walking the talk’’ and not just championing the new changes. A collaborative effort is required from Human Resources, Communications, consultants and leadership to ensure that employees fully embrace the new environment. One cannot just send a memo and expect deep-rooted changes to occur.

An article in Forbes (2012) puts this succinctly:

How does culture change? A powerful person at the top, or a large enough group from anywhere in the organization, decides the old ways are not working, figures out a change vision, starts acting differently, and enlists others to act differently. If the new actions produce better results, if the results are communicated and celebrated, and if they are not killed off by the old culture fighting its rear-guard action, new norms will form and new shared values will grow.

What does NOT work in changing a culture? Some group decides what the new culture should be. It turns a list of values over to the communications or HR departments with the order that they tell people what the new culture is. They cascade the message down the hierarchy, and little to nothing changes.

Benefits of Change Management

Why should anyone bring a change management consultant to actualize a change vision? What benefits could change management initiatives realize?

The change manager is an enabler; a catalyst; a facilitator of progress. While he is not responsible for the ‘’brick-and-mortar’’ responsibilities on a project, he is at the capstone of any successful project. His overall contribution is ensuring that that the project achieves its stated goals and objectives.

The benefits of change management are twofold: financial and non-financial.

Financial Benefits of Change Management

The financial target of a change management practitioner is to sustain a positive Net Present Value for the project. He does this in three ways; by increasing the ability and willingness of the stakeholders to use the system, by reducing time spent by end-users in gaining proficiency, and by ensuring the workability of the system.

Firstly, desire. The change manager works to ensure the stakeholders are willing to use the new system. He does this by planning and executing a stakeholder management plan. In so doing, he takes into consideration the different social styles, motivating factors and interests of each stakeholder.

Secondly, knowledge. The change manager works to reduce the time taken for the employees to gain proficiency in the new system. Situations where employees are incapable of using the new system are costly and time-consuming. Hence, he reduces this risk by planning, executing and tracking training of the impacted stakeholders.

Thirdly, ability. The change manager works to ensure the stakeholders are able to use the new system. He does this by aligning the organization to meet the demands of the new system. To do this, he maps new roles to positions. He also disseminates User IDs and passwords to impacted stakeholders to give them access to the new system. In the same vein, the change manager ensures the workability of the system. Even though he is not a member of the change management team, he ensures the system is able to function. He does this by planning and executing change and business readiness activities, He checks to ensure that the relevant stakeholders have the technology, training and organizational alignment tools required to enable them function in the new environment.

Non-Financial Benefits of Change Management

The non-financial target of a change management practitioner is to improve employee retention, morale and customer satisfaction. He does this by increasing understanding, morale and engagement of employees.

Firstly, the change manager increases the understanding of stakeholders about the changes. He does this by planning and executing ‘’warm’’ and ‘’cold’’ communication activities to internal and external stakeholders.

Secondly, the change manager increases the morale of employees. He does this by ensuring company executives sponsor the project by ‘’walking the talk’’. By so doing, he builds enthusiasm and support for the new environment.

Thirdly, the change manager ensures that stakeholders are engaged and involved in the change. He does this by planning and executing several engagements within and outside the organization. At these engagements, he highlights the pain points of the old system, paints a picture of the benefits of the new system, provides a demo of the new system and sheds light on grey areas.

Navigating the Changing Terrain of Organisations

Here’s an excerpt from my upcoming book. Comments and feedback appreciated:

Among all human endeavours, wrote German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, change is the only thing that is immortal.

A cursory perusal of the headlines of the major business magazines proves the truth of this statement. ‘’New CEO escapes the legacy of his predecessor and steers industrial colossus in a new direction.’’ ‘’A cost crisis, changing labour markets and new technology turn an old institution on its head.’’ ‘’New technologies improve adult learning.’’ ‘’Lawmakers back new cement policy.’’ ‘’The President takes immigration reform into his own hands.’’

Whilst organisational change appears to be happening with increasing frequency and magnitude in the private sector, change is equally prevalent in the Public Sector. Public-sector organizations also struggle to make change stick, with many of their failures cataloged by the media in painful detail. What state has not tried to reform its health-care system, improve its public-transportation network, or implement a major IT program only to give up after several years of minimal impact and ballooning costs? The dispersed accountability of government agencies and the intense public scrutiny given to the public sector combine to make real and lasting reform quite challenging to carry out. (BCG Perspectives, 2012)

As the wave of innovation continues to rise steadily, heralding changes to organizational processes, systems and technology, job roles and organizational structure and policies, what consequences follow in the wake of the tidal wave of change?

In the words of Florentine political philosopher, Niccolo Machiavelli, there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new.

Why is change so difficult to effect? It all boils down to the human psyche. People generally have a strong need for control. They meet this need by dictating or at least anticipating their future. They then establish specific expectations based on what they can shape or anticipate.

Major changes such as those profiled above tend to create a sense of vulnerability and undermine the sense of control of an employee. When the perceived reality matches expectations, the employee achieves a sense of control by accepting and encouraging the change. The change can then be said to be positive. Positive change is depicted by Accenture (1997) in the figure below:

When perceived reality does not match expectations, however, there is a sense of being unprepared. The employee can only achieve a sense of control by rejecting the change. This is called Negative Change. The figure below, from Kubler-Ross (1997), shows the negative reactions that usually accompany any change.

The effects of a negative response to change in an organization can be devastating. The following case study results illustrate some negative outcomes of poorly managed changes:

• 30% unplanned increase in transition resources where there is a lack of skilled resources; leading to a need to hire temps to fill positions
• Millions of dollars of unplanned expenditures where there is a lack of knowledge transfer between the transitioning employees and new resources; leading to a potential decline in current revenue
• 20 – 30% rework rate on normal day-to-day service requests within a shared services centre; leading to a potentially negative impact on ability to meet customers’ requirements
• Millions of dollars spent on recreating training materials where initial training is poor and not developed by training specialists (or where the requirements are not understood); leading to failure to meet project schedules
• 40% unplanned increase of Change Management Full Time Equivalents to manage sponsorship and additional user testing where it was not included up-front

Bearing in mind the huge costs and implications of negative change, it is no wonder that a 2010 global awareness executive research—based on a survey of 976 C-level executives across most industries and geographies—found that the Number 2-ranked business issues on the minds of respondents concerns the management of change. (See Figure 3)

As issues relating to managing change have risen to the top of the C-suite agenda, the discipline of change management has evolved to the status of a profession. In my next posts, I’ll define clearly the principles and practice of change management.

Business Issue	Rank
Acquiring new customers	1
Managing change within the enterprise	2
Managing risk	2
Intensified pressure to reduce costs	4
Reducing workforce-related costs	5
Managing for a downturn in business	6
Applying innovation to stay ahead of the competition	6
Attracting, retaining and developing skilled talent	8
Increasing customer loyalty and retention in an increasingly buyer-driven market	8
Changing corporate culture and employee attitudes	10
Improving workforce performance – ensuring our workforce is the most productive, creative and entrepreneurial	10

 

My Upcoming Book – Managing Change the SIMPLER Way

It’s been a while since I last blogged. However, I didn’t stop blogging because my interest in change management has waned. On the contrary, my interest in business change has deepened. When I first launched the blog in 2013, I was a generalist consultant working on a range of industries, sectors and functional areas in one of the world’s largest consulting firms. Today, I am a change management specialist, developing an expertise and passion that drives me to focus primarily in one area – Organizational Change.

After having worked on change management projects in the Public Sector and Energy industry, I am now working on the world’s largest SAP deployment for a global multinational in the Consumer Products industry. It’s an exciting and groundbreaking project and I’m privileged to be collaborating with talented professionals from around the world. I am responsible for managing the organizational change and communications journey within West Africa.

In a bid to share the wealth of knowledge I have gained as a change manager, I am co-authoring a book called ”Managing Successful Organizational Change Projects – The SIMPLER Way” with a seasoned and respected change management professional whom I like to call Mr. D. Mr. D has worked on more than 8 SAP deployments in different countries around the world and is currently a Value and Change Management consultant in SAP Africa.

The book is being written out of my interest in the field of change management. I am writing the book in order to consolidate my knowledge of the topic into a single volume and share this knowledge with other change management practitioners in the field. The book is being written for change management consultants, technology consultants, human resources specialists, C-Suite executives, and indeed, everyone who has a part to play in implementing sizeable projects which bring about significant changes in organizations.

The book is applicable to readers across several organizational levels and geographical entities. To cater to such a large audience, it will be available in bookstores within and outside Nigeria as well as different professional bodies (Association of Change Management Practitioners, Academy of Management, Prosci Change Management Learning Centre etc.) Whether you’re new to change management, an experienced change manager, a technology consultant, an HR practitioner, or a C-suite executive, this book will help you to come to grips with the implications of change in your organization. I will be sharing bits and pieces of the book as we write. Please feel free to send your comments and feedback – they will be greatly appreciated!

– Glow.

Top 5 Strategies for Changing an Amiable Stakeholder

‘’How easy to be amiable in the midst of happiness and success’’ – William Ellery Channing.

Such may easily be said of Sheikh Ahmed, the simple and unassuming CEO of a global industrial conglomerate. This ‘’happy old man’’ is universally esteemed for his untiring benevolence and indefatigable cheerfulness. He is popular in such a manner as to be almost legendary, and his conversations are cataracts of anecdotes and loud laughter. It seems that Sheikh Ahmed’s good cheer proceeds, not from spontaneous joy, but from a grim determination never to be sad. Cheerfulness has become for him a kind of moral imperative, jocularity a public duty.

And he has every reason to be merry; his company, which he began as a humble trading enterprise thirty years ago is well on its way to becoming a Global Fortune 500 company, placing him squarely on Forbes’ list of the wealthiest men alive.

He has engaged your services as a consultant to transform the operating model of his company to support the quantum leap in size and complexity to be expected from his ambitious expansion plans. For your first meeting with him, you want to present your idea of an innovative To-Be framework for his business which is radically from the framework proposed to him by his previous consultants.

What are the top 5 ways you can sell your ideas for the upcoming changes to him?

• 1^st Message (‘’We care about you’’): A caustic, business-like approach will not endear you to Sheikh Ahmed. Establish rapport by engaging in small talk; ask general questions that will encourage him to talk. Depending on your level of familiarity with him, you may inquire about members of his staff whom you have worked with on previous engagements. Such emphasis on relationships and a shared history will help begin the conversation on the right note.

• 2^nd Message (‘’We have thought this through thoroughly’’): As an Amiable, Sheikh Ahmed’s basic need is for Personal Security. Because he is naturally risk-averse and cautious, you need to re-assure him that your proposed framework is dependable and reliable. You may also win him by letting him know why your proposed framework will be acceptable to others who are important to him e.g. other key members of the Board of Directors.

• 3^rd Message (‘’We see the risks and know how to mitigate them’’): Provide personal guarantees and assurances that the proposed framework has little risk. Use third-party testimonials as necessary to let Sheikh Ahmed customer know that others have benefited from your framework.

• 4^th Message (‘’We are listening to you’’): Ask questions that will encourage Sheikh Ahmed to talk. Then listen emphatically so he feels heard and understood.

• 5^th Message (‘’We won’t rush you’’): He may ramble and interject some anecdotes; resist the temptation to rush him unnecessarily. Keep your pace relaxed and avoid fast, non-personal messages that might have you come across as cold or indifferent. He might display resistance by postponing a decision, expressing doubt or uncertainty in a questioning way, or explaining that he wants to talk with someone else about your proposal. In this case, let him know you will follow up with him personally via the phone or another meeting. ‘’Pushing’’ him is likely to backfire.

The amiable, agreeable Sheikh Ahmed will be turned off if you:

•       Press him too hard for a change
•       Adopt a cool approach
•       Go into too much detail about deadlines to be met

The tools you will need to engage with and change the opinions of an Amiable stakeholder are:

•       A slow, deliberate pace
•       Plenty of small talk
•       Informal interactions
•       Empathy and acknowledgement of his feelings
•       A supportive, respectful approach

So, there you have it – strategies for changing stakeholders with different Social Styles. I hope you found the posts interesting and enlightening.

Hoping for fresh inspiration from my blogging muse for a fresh series soon 🙂

Top 5 Strategies for Changing an Expressive Stakeholder

Leila is a cheerful, optimistic, happy-go-lucky woman. Her highs are as dramatic as her lows; she can rail at you in one minute and re-appear with a ready smile in the next minute. She is good company and has little trouble making friends, forging new alliances and consolidating old relationships. Because she is dynamic and comfortable with people and change, she has been asked to play the role of Program Sponsor in the client’s Modernization Programme.

You want to make a good impression on Leila so that you can have a happy working relationship.

What are the top 5 ways you can sell yourself – and the upcoming changes – to her?

• 1^st Message (‘’We like you’’): An Expressive’s numero uno need is for Personal Approval. If she has taken the trouble to come up with any presentation slides or discussion decks on the project, commend her for her efforts. Even if they are far from perfect, she will not appreciate your criticism or condemnation (unlike the Driver who does not mind being challenged). Rather, work with her to explore the merits of her plans. If you can inspire her and recognize her enthusiasm, she will be willing to do more to please you.

• 2^nd Message (‘’We can excite you’’): One thing is clear; Expressives don’t like to be bored. In explaining the rationale for the change, don’t restrict yourself to dry facts and figures; bring the change to life by developing and presenting clear examples of what you hope to achieve. Motivational stories about people or situations that paint the change in a favorable light will help. A note of caution: Too much emphasis on motivational stimulation could result in a meeting which ends on an up-tone without ever arriving at any specifically agreed-upon action or commitment. So, be sure to agree on clear timelines for action and on the specifics of what you need from her.

• 3^rd Message (‘’We agree with you’’): Even if you disagree with what she’s saying, avoid arguing with her; she has a strong need to win arguments. Look for alternate solutions that you can both share with excitement. Deferring to her when she’s not wrong will help you score points with her – after all, she is the client 🙂

• 4^th Message ( ‘’We respect you’’): By now, you should have established that you want to be Leila’s friend and personal supporter of her dreams, rather than someone who might compete with her for the spotlight. Expressive clients consider power and politics important because they can enhance personal recognition and reputation. Show her how your change will make her look good.

• 5^th Message (‘’We’re in this together’’): A collaborative approach will work best with Leila. Spend time exploring mutually stimulating ideas and possible solutions. Let her take as much of the credit for the ideas developed as she cares to. Remember – if you can get to her to the point where she believes the change will be fun and exciting and she begins to take personal ownership for its success and build creative ideas to make the change a reality, you will have succeeded.

Warm, approachable Leila will be turned off if you:

•       Ignore her enthusiasm
•       Put tasks ahead of fun
•       Stifle her ideas and creativity
•       Adopt a cold, formal or impersonal approach
•       Go into too much detail

In summary, the tools you will need to engage with and change an Expressive stakeholder will have more to do with her heart than her head. They are:

•       Personal approval
•       Stimulating conversation
•       Support for her ideas
•       Opportunities for recognition
•       A collaborative approach

You might want to try these strategies on your client and share the results.

In my next (and final) post, I’ll discuss the top 5 strategies for changing an Amiable.

Top 5 Strategies for Changing a Driving Stakeholder

Aggressive and forceful, Jide is one of those people who loves to play the devil’s advocate. A high-ranking member of the client staff, he has been with the Company for years and has seen several change initiatives fail. Because he doesn’t care what you think, he openly tells anyone who cares to listen that your new initiative, like its predecessors, will not see the light of day. Unfortunately for you, his opinion is respected and you find to your dismay that many people, even your change agents, are beginning to lose faith in your Programme.

As the Change Manager, you need to sell the new vision to Jide. On your first visit to his office, he sits you down and hits you with a laundry-list of reasons why the change is a waste of time. Then he leans back and crosses his arms over his chest, waiting for your response. Your mind flashes back to the last two people who have tried to convince Jide and failed.

What are the top 5 things you can tell him that will win him over to your side?

• 1^st Message (‘’We know what we are doing’’): A Driver is one of the most confident people you will ever meet so your first task is to win his respect. Brandishing your impressive credentials is a good first step. You need to sell yourself as the ‘’A’’ team. He needs to believe that you are competent and sure of your facts. Don’t be too modest – mention the Change Management certification you acquired, the Organizational Transformation book you wrote, the Ivy-League college you attended, the recent award you won at work or the Fortune 100 company you worked for. Also mention any impressive credentials of your other team members.

• 2^nd Message (‘’We can produce results’’): From your Case for Change document, distill key facts and figures about the current situation in the firm, the challenges with the current system and how the new change will ameliorate these conditions. You need to explain the tangible results of his efforts and show him that the change will not just be an ‘’exercise in futility’’. You may also share a Business Case showing the expected pecuniary benefits of the change. Translating these results into monetary terms will help him see how the bottom-line will be improved and contribute to overall profitability.

• 3^rd Message (‘’We have the right assets’’): Emphasize the rigorous processes and mature tools in your kitty. Try to avoid sounding unpredictable and ad-hoc in your methods. Share differentiating assets such as the models that will provide certainty and speed and will save money. He needs to know that your tools, methods, and assets will provide predictability.

• 4^th Message ( ‘’We can deliver’’): Share your work plan and your key milestones. Besides making him feel important, it will increase his confidence that the change can be delivered.

• 5^th Message ( ‘’We’ve done this before’’): You can end by referring once more to your  firm’s impressive pedigree and by citing your recent accomplishments. You could also mention successful projects which you recently completed at a similar firm.  This will help re-affirm your competence and make him trust you more.

Direct, decisive Jide will be turned off if you sound as if you are:

•       Beating around the bush
•       Ignorant and cannot answer his questions
•       Timid and cannot challenge him
•       Incompetent and unsure of your facts
•       Not going to produce results for him
•       A bearer of bad news

In summary, the most strategic documents you need to change a key stakeholder with a Driving style are:

•       Credentials
•       Case for Change/ Business Case
•       Change Management Assets and Methodology
•       Work Plan
•       More credentials 🙂

You might want to try these strategies on your client and share the results.

In my next post, I’ll discuss the top 5 strategies for changing an Expressive.

Top 5 Strategies for Changing an Analytical Stakeholder

Comfort is a quiet woman in her mid-thirties. When you were introduced to her, your first thoughts were ‘’Cool, reserved and logical.’’ You notice that when she speaks to you, her facial features are controlled and she speaks in a monotone. Also, when you’re speaking to her, she does not like to make eye contact but stares over your shoulder with a slight frown, ruminating on your words. She asks a lot of questions and prefers to influence people with a modest, low-key approach.

Comfort is the Head of the Finance Department. As your Change Sponsor, she is the first person you have to sell the vision of the new SAP FICO solution to.

As a Change Manager, what are the top 5 things you can tell her that will get her to commit to the new solution?

• 1^st Message (‘’We understand you’’): An Analytical is difficult to mislead so you will need to do your research. From your Change Impact Assessment Report, distill key facts and figures about the current situation in the Department, the challenges they face with their current system and how the new solution will ameliorate these conditions. She needs to believe that you understand where she is, where she wants to be, and the challenges she faces.

• 2^nd Message (‘’We have thought this through thoroughly’’): Create a Case for Change by answering the following questions:
  • Why is this change important?
  • What is the richer detail of the Vision?
  • What about the Vision is compelling?
  • Why would someone want to sign up to the Vision?
  • Is there a “burning platform”?
  • What are the negative aspects of remaining in the current state and not moving towards the Vision?
  • What are the positive aspects of moving towards the Vision?
  • What will happen if you don’t realize your Vision?

For larger, more strategic changes, you may have to conduct a PESTLE Analysis and show the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legislative and Environmental considerations that led to the decision to implement the change.

• 3^rd Message (‘’We see the risks and know how to mitigate them’’): Every change comes with huge risks and the implementation of a new SAP solution is no exception. Be sure to mention the various Business Readiness and Change Readiness Assessments you will conduct prior to the Go-Live date and how these will ensure that the necessary environment has been created for a successful launch of the solution. Share your Business Readiness Checklist which will assess the readiness of People, Processes, Technology/Infrastructure, Worktools, Communications and Organizational Structure prior to the implementation date
• 4^th Message ( ‘’We can show you how to do this’’): The last thing Comfort wants is to be stuck with a solution she does not understand and cannot explain to her staff. Analyticals never want to look clueless. Share your Training Plan and your plans for post-implementation support as agreed with technical partners.

• 5^th Message ( ‘’We have excellent tools and methods’’): Drawing upon your formal credentials will help establish yourself as an authority and make her trust you more. Emphasize the rigorous processes and mature tools in your kitty. Try to avoid sounding unpredictable and ad-hoc in your methods. A key buyer value for Comfort will be accuracy and professionalism.

Precise, formal Comfort will be turned off if you sound as if you are:

•       Selling to her
•       All flash and no substance
•       Risky and impulsive
•       Pressuring her too much to make hasty decisions
•       Not being transparent with her
•       Error prone and not accurate

In summary, the most important Change Management documents you need to change a key stakeholder with an Analytical style are:

•       Change Impact Assessment Report
•       Case for Change document
•       Business Readiness Scorecard
•       Training Plan
•       Credentials

In my next post, we’ll discuss the top 5 strategies for changing a Driver.

 

 

Social Styles and Change [1]: An Introduction

It’s been a while since I last posted; six months, to be exact. What can I say – A combination of blogger’s block and killer consulting hours.

Whether it’s a new organizational structure, a superior operating model or an upgraded SAP solution, people tend to resist change. As a Change Manager, you are further hampered in this task of managing change by the fact that people are different. What deeply impresses Mr. A and motivates him to change may have no effect whatsoever on Ms. B.

Hence, if you are going to develop a change management strategy – with the intention of managing change in your organization – then you’d better start with what motivates people in the first place.

The ‘’Social Style’’ Model, created by the TRACOM Corporation, divides people into four basic styles. You can discover which social style you fall into by answering these two questions.

Think back to the time when you are most yourself and most comfortable. Then:

1. Are you happier when you are working at a fast pace with a high-energy level or when you are working at a slower pace, taking your time?
2. Are you happier when you are working with people or with ideas?

If you like to work fast and with ideas, you are a Driver.

If you like to work slow and with ideas, you are Analytical.

If you like to work fast and with people, you are Expressive.

If you like to work slow and with people, you are Amiable.

I’ve included brief descriptions of each Social Style below so you can confirm your results:

If you like to work fast, and with ideas, then you are a Driver. On your best day, you deliver results, produce actions, are organized and provide leadership. On your worst day, however, you are autocratic and people insensitive. You don’t care what others think. You aren’t sociable, don’t listen and are too impatient. This social style predominates in the Boardroom, the C-suite or wherever major decisions about the Company’s future are made.

If you like to work slowly and with ideas, then you are Analytical. On your best day, you don’t pressure or become salesy. You can show how. You provide rigor. You are transparent and comprehensive. On your worst day, you are unsociable and withdrawn. You can be tedious. You are into too much detail. You won’t take risks and you are indecisive. This social style predominates in Research and Development, Finance and Accounting, Strategy or wherever precision and analysis are called for.

If you like to work fast, and with people, then you are Expressive. On your best day, you are enthusiastic. You are social and likeable. You are innovative and creative. You provide humor. On your worst day, you talk too much & dominate meetings. You are too salesy. You tell long stories where you are the hero. You don’t listen. You make decisions too quickly and you say things that you later regret. This social style is found predominantly in the Sales and Marketing Department, or wherever persuasion and people skills are called for.

If you like to work slowly and with people, then you are Amiable. On your best day, you provide harmony and consensus. You settle things down. You provide comfort. On your worst day, you won’t initiate things that must be done. You won’t make decisions on your own. You won’t take risks. This social style predominates in Human Resources or wherever staff welfare and people’s concerns are being catered to.

So, which is your Social Style?

In reading these posts, I bet you discovered not only your style, but the style of your colleagues, supervisors and friends. This just goes to show that everyone is different. Hence, the best strategy for motivating a Driver to change will not succeed in motivating an Analytical.

I intend to do justice to this series on Social Styles and Change in the upcoming weeks, so watch this space!