Managing change - an overview

Change – expect it.
It is the nature of complex adaptive systems to change – we are all complex adaptive systems.

This section provides an overview of managing change and certain behaviours which initiators of change may come across. Everyone has their own reactions to change when going through the stages that change inevitably brings. An understanding of how others may react and some human behaviour that you may encounter will help when supporting others.

The tools to help you understand and manage change described here are:

• Basics of Transactional analysis in communication and transformational change including WIIFM, Ego state model, Drama triangle, Winners triangle and OK corral.
• Sphere of influence - Circle of concern and circle of influence
• Negotiation
• Rapport Building
• PALS tool  - Process, Accountability and Leadership scores
• Team working  using Bolton and Bolton individual assessment

 There are a number of ways of describing how individuals feel during the process of change.

Change can be linked to the Five Stages of Grief .  The Elisabeth Kubler- Ross model identified this as

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

What you may feel during a change process

• Numbness
• Denial
• Depression
• Accept / Letting Go
• Testings / Startings
• Search for Meaning
• Internalisation

To help understand this you can reflect on a change that you have experienced and then map out your experience by answering these questions.

1. Shock – how did you feel
2. Denial – to what extent did you avoid / dismiss what was happening?
3. Incompetence – were there areas you felt unsure of?
4. Letting go – at what point did you let go of the old and start to accept the change?
5. Testing – how did you test out the changes? What happened to help you move forward?
6. Acceptance – how did you demonstrate your acceptance?
7. Integration – looking back what do you think about your experience of the change? What lessons did you learn?

Resistance to Change
People resist change because they…

• may have a poor appreciation of the need to change
• may have a poor understanding of the solution or do not consider the solution to be appropriate
• disagree how the change should be implemented
• are experiencing change fatigue
• believe the organisation has failed to successfully implement change in the past

Aim to achieve a win-win outcome

Things to consider before you start:

• Know your objective - prepare
• Know your bottom line - prepare
• Have a positive approach

 Remember:

• You will probably have to live/work with that person again!
• The other person has needs and wants a desired outcome
• Your behaviour now will set up expectations for the future

What is it

• The ability to enter someone else’s world
• The ability to go fully from your perception to theirs
• When established, rapport builds an environment of trust, confidence and participation

Why build rapport?

• We cannot not communicate!
• Some people have a natural ability to influence and generate instant rapport.
• For most of us there are some people whom we take an instant liking to
• With others this just is not there

How do we build rapport

• The Content (the words alone)  7%
• Vocal Influences (tone, rhythm, pitch)  38%
• Non-verbal (posture, gesture, facial expressions, eye movements) 55%

Only 7% of the messages processed come from auditory, therefore 93% of our ability to influence in any communication is coming from outside of the specific words we use.

How can you Create Rapport?

• By having something in common
• Requires going from your world (1 position) to somebody else’s world (2 position)
• How we experience the world - its all about perception

Mastering the skill of rapport

• Ability to be sensitive and observant
• Be flexible
• Adjust your responses accordingly
• Watch others posture, gestures and speech patterns

This checklist is scored on a sliding scale of 1-9 where 1-3 is disagree, 4-6 is unsure and 7-9 agree where 1 is strongly diagree and 9 is strongly agree.

Teams succeed when they have prepared the foundations to the extent that everyone agrees on the items listed below.

Team members should score honestly about how they feel at that moment, the team can't proceed without their commitment.

Understanding normal human behaviour when change happens is the basis of transactional analysis.

There are a number of different models that can be used

Radio WIIFM - What's In It For Me

People measure the perceived implications of a proposed change against various work-related criteria:

Place of work, hours of work & conditions
Salary
Job security
Nature of work (tasks & responsibilities)
Power, status, position & identity
Working relationships

Ego state model - P A C

“in our Parent state Controlling/Nurturing
Feelings, thoughts & behaviours are copied. Stress tends to take us here

“in our Adult state” Rational Executive
Feelings, thoughts & behaviours based on the here & now. Tends to be here when we are task focused & seeking information

“in our Child state” Adapted/Rebellious
Feelings, thoughts & behaviours replayed from childhood. Stress tends to take us here

Normal situation is Parent stimulates child - child responds to parent.

Communicatuing effectively when adult to adult - stimulus and response

The Drama triangle

Victim Characteristics:

• Act as if they do not have the resources to solve their problem (or someone else has to change for them to be happy)
• Act as if their neediness is so acute it prevents them from solving problems
• Discounts:-
  
• I can’t solve this

Rescuer Characteristics:

• Take over the thinking & problem solving
• Do more than their share
• Do things they do not want to do
• Discounts:-
• The Victim cannot solve his/her problem

Persecutor Characteristics:

• Others suffer on account of their behaviour
• Part of the Persecutor ‘s goal is to punish
• Discounts:-
• The Victim doesn’t matter

The Winners triangle

Victim  - Vulnerable Characteristics:

• Use Adult ego state for thinking problem solving
• Use their feelings as data for problem solving
• Skills:-
• Problem solving
• Self-awareness

Rescuer -  Caring Characteristics:

• Do not do the thinking
• Do not take over unless asked
• Do not do more than their share
• Do not do things they do not want to do
• Skills:-
• Listening skills
• Self-awareness

Persecutor  - Assertive Characteristics:

• Asks for what they want
• Say no to what they don’t want
• Give feedback & initiate negotiation
• Do not punish
• Skills:-
• Assertion skills

The OK Corral

I’m Not OK → You’re OK
I’m OK → You’re Not OK
I’m OK → You’re OK

This technique is good for separating out lower from higher priorities, and gaining ownership for action

A Circle of Concern encompasses the wde range of concerns we have, such as our health, our children, problems at work.
A Circle of Influence encompasses those concerns that we can do something about. They are concerns that we have some control over.

The circles overlap.

Focus on your sphere of Influence
First notice all your concerns. Then, among those concerns, determine where you can take action.
Think of ways to be more proactive (not aggressive) and address the things you can do something about. Your circle of influence will enlarge and your circle of concern will shrink:

What concerns me - e.g. Restructure, A last minute presentation, 4 hour breaches, Traffic
What is my sphere of influence - A last minute presentation , traffic

Bolton and Bolton Self Assessment

How do different personalities overcome conflict and different ways of doing tasks so that everyone is a winner? You need to take a holistic view of your organisation in such a way that everyone is working towards a common goal rather than a personal one.

The Bolton and Bolton model uses 2 dimensions of personality, Responsiveness and Assertiveness:

• Responsiveness is the way in which a person is perceived as expressing feelings when relating to others;
• Assertiveness is the way in which a person is perceived as attempting to influence the thoughts and actions of others.

The model uses these to identify 4 personality types using a self-assessment questionnaire. (Robert and Dorothy Bolton in their book People Styles at Work.)

Analyticals
They like order and organisational structure and are neat and tidy in their work using charts, graphs and lists in support. The task is a priority. They set high standards for themselves and others. However, they dislike change and personal attention.

Drivers
They like to be in control, are independent and are best working alone. They are cool, calculating and competitive and enjoy a challenge. They measure success in tangible results. However, they don't like emotional issues and are impatient with slower paced people.

Expressives
They are enthusiastic and like to be the centre of attention. They seek friendly open environments, are often disorganised but like recognition and acknowledgement from others. However, they dislike detail

Amiables
They like informality, are laid-back, steady and agreeable working with others. They have a need to maintain and strengthen relationships and build trust. They are warm and accepting and keen to support others. However, they dislike criticism and resist change.

If only everyone was the same!

The self-assessment allows individuals to:

Identify – their own style and that of others
Plan – select ways of behaving that get the best from people
Try – using the new behaviours and approaches
Review – did it work?

Most people have more than one trait of personality type but the model highlights the key characteristics.

More information on the Bolton and Bolton model can be found in the this powerpoint presentation on Leadership Awareness- working with different personalities, given by  Richard Giles of Rock the Boat Consulting  at  SWIP (Senior Women in Policing) Conference 2009

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