Even an organizational change initiative that has been well planned can feel messy.  Margaret Wheatley, author of Leadership and the New Science said, “that it is only with disorder that we can find the new order.”  Your ability to use the change process to see through the disorder, to achieve your intended outcome is critical to your success. Read the rest of this entry »

This is a question I am often asked in the Living and Leading Executive program.  A great question because the short answer is, change cannot be mandated. You may be thinking, oh yes it can, it happens all the time in my organization.  But let’s take a closer look at what is really happening. Read the rest of this entry »

As I sit here looking at the snow outside my window in the middle of another Manitoba winter, I wonder if summer will ever come. Sometimes it feels the same way when you are in the middle of a large organizational change. Having transition outcome indicators can really help.

Transition outcome indicators (what I call the TOIS of change) provide a dashboard for assessing and monitoring people’s progress through the transition. They are like an early warning system that lets you know if people are moving in the direction of the change. Read the rest of this entry »

I have seen an increased interest in cultural change. This might be, at least partly due to the dramatic shifts in the business and economic environment. Regardless of the reason for the increase, many leaders are asking: Do we need to change the culture of our organization?

This is not a question to take lightly.  Your organization’s culture influences every aspect of its operation. It defines what gets done, how things get done, and more importantly your culture defines why things get done the way they do. Culture is the most stable part of your organization. Edgar Schein, a leading researcher in organizational culture noted, people will even work to retain a dysfunctional culture if it is in their comfort zone. Read the rest of this entry »

Change management best practice has become the mantra of many organizations.  I often hear someone talking about change management best practice as if it holds the secret to their success.  That is why my colleague, Jacob Hallencreutz, and I  have been researching what makes a change management practice a best practice.

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Many people believe change management takes too much time. The reality is that facilitating healthy and sustainable change does not need to take more time. Change management does require you to think differently about how you use the time you have. Read the rest of this entry »

“People hate change.” I hear a participant say this at almost every workshop.  But I don’t think people hate change. I think they lack readiness.

Consider this – it is estimated the amount of change in the last 10 years is equal to the previous 20 years.  And the pace of change shows no sign of slowing down. If people really hated change, I think we would see less, and not more change. As William Bridges says, people don’t hate change, they hate having change done to them. Read the rest of this entry »

Confusing buy-in with a true commitment to change is probably one of the most common mistakes leaders make when it comes to organizational change.

You’ve probably seen – or lived – this scenario: Pleased that you have “buy-in” for your change, you proceed to implement.  Suddenly, all those people who bought in are singing a different tune.  As a result, you become frustrated, disappointed and very often left with a feeling of being let down. The people affected by the change are left feeling misunderstood and angry. They feel that the change is being forced upon them.  Regardless of the feelings, the label is almost always the same – resistance.

When it comes to organizational change, “buy-in” has become one of the most over-used and misunderstood concepts.

It is helpful to understand how buy-in and commitment to change differ. Buy-in simply represents a person’s agreement about the value and need for the change proposed.

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Recently I had a discussion with a client about the value of change management. As we were talking, one statement he made really stood out for me. He said “I am not really sure what I will get.” He was looking to understand what tangible difference he would see as a result of change management.

The reason this statement stood out for me was because it reminded me of our very human need for quick fixes or the silver bullet. Every day we are bombarded with products that are touted as the silver bullet, whether it is for getting fit, losing weight, learning a language, making more money or managing change.  The truth is that even these so-called silver bullets don’t produce results without some additional effort. Read the rest of this entry »

Last month we launched our new Living and Leading Change program, and I have been thrilled with the response.  It has allowed me to work closely with leadership teams to build commitment to the principles and practices of successful change into the very top layers of the organization.

As I have worked with both executive and managers, I have been interested to see that one question comes up consistently: Can we manage change if we don’t have an intended outcome? Or what if we are not sure of what the result will be – can we still manage the change? The short answer to this question is NO. Without a clearly stated and shared intended outcome you cannot enable change. Read the rest of this entry »