Comments on: Conventional change management experts – I’m calling your bluff

By: RIVERFORK

RIVERFORK — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:17:56 +0000

Hi Jo,
Thanks for finding RIVERFORK and for the comments. Your question is worthy of a live conversation. Some questions to consider follow:
1) Do you know, explicitly, who your decision makers are to approve or reject your idea / your change?
2) Is this executive one those decision makers?
3) Do you understand why this executive rejects your idea?

I think the thing to remember is that you're not trying to convince everyone. If you get the right people to support your idea, others will eventually follow or not (and that's okay).

I wish you well!

Melissa

By: Jo.

Jo. — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:11:40 +0000

I agree that change can be lead from anywhere; however it can also be blocked from anywhere. Some blockages are easier to handle but in a power struggle how do you overcome or work round an influential character who is also an executive?

By: Holger Nauheimer

Holger Nauheimer — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:53:47 +0000

HI Leslie and all. You hit the nail! Every change journey is different! This is why all the change models might work in some situations or not in others. Last year, I ha a client who told me: "Don't mention Kotter in this organization. We've tried him already…".

Today, we started to open up our new concept – I call it a meta model – of The Change Journey. Would love to see you all there and see you comments!

http://www.changejourney.org

By: RIVERFORK

RIVERFORK — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 03:18:55 +0000

Hi Dan,
Thanks for commenting. Love it. Leadership is an action not a title. That's perhaps what rubs me wrong about conventional change management. The focus is on securing 'executive sponsorship' and teaching them to lead. I want to focus on teaching people to lead change at any level, independent of title. Looks like you have an interesting company. Stay in touch and have a great weekend!
Melissa

By: Dan Hupp

Dan Hupp — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:38:32 +0000

Melissa, I really appreciate the thread that you started. Change management is the responsibility of anyone who accepts responsibility for making things happen. Let me put a twist on the subject with a definition of leadership from Joseph
Rost in his book, Leadership for the Twenty-First Century, "Leadership is and influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real change for their mutual purpose." This definition supports the position that anyone who wants to initiate change only needs to exercise leadership to make it happen.

By: Stephen Billing

Stephen Billing — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:00:56 +0000

Melissa, I am pointing to what looks like a contradiction in Guido's comments. He is saying first that change is not a planned road trip, and then that it is some other kind of journey. You are clarifying the listening / adjusting / modifying aspects of change, and sure, we improve as we go, no problem there.

I am pointing out that there seems to be a discrepancy between on the one hand, refuting that change is a planned journey, and then on the other hand saying that it is a journey and then that it can be perceived as an awesome journey for everyone.

As the owner of the site, I imagine you want to keep all your commenters happy, as they are crucial to a blog, and you are also a person with a positive outlook – it's clear from your writing. The requirement to keep everyone welcome on your site causes a tension between agreeing with one point of view while not antagonising people with another point of view. I also have this dilemma on my own blog (http://www.changingorganisations.com).

I also find myself balancing these tensions all the time in my change projects in client organisations, and I'm sure other consultants and change practitioners do as well. There are many times when keeping things ambiguous is beneficial in allowing everyone to go on together.

In this case I haven't kept things ambiguous, I am being deliberately provocative, but I do think there is a discrepancy in the metaphors used by Guido in his post, even though I agree with the part about listening and responding.

By: RIVERFORK

RIVERFORK — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:25:23 +0000

Stephen,
You're right, the experience of change is not awesome for everyone involved and as change leaders, which I'm sure you can appreciate in your practice, we be as transparent as possible and we adjust and modify change plans because we're dealing with people (which I believe is what Guido means). Nothing about leading change is black and white. We use our best judgment, we lead with integrity and transparency, and we learn as we go.

Thanks for the comments!
Melissa

By: Stephen Billing

Stephen Billing — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:18:17 +0000

What is the difference between the change that people hate and the adaptation that they love?

By: Stephen Billing

Stephen Billing — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:17:01 +0000

I don't quite get your perspective here, it seems contradictory somehow. I agree that it is good to listen to people and attempt to understand them.

Then you say that change managers shouldn't force people to a planned change road trip. And then you agree with the previous comment that change is a journey and go on to say that change is an awesome journey for everyone involved. What is the difference between the awesome journey you elevate and the planned change road trip you denigrate?

I don't agree that the experience of change is awesome for everyone involved. For many it is quite traumatic and very difficult indeed, despite exhortations to have a positive attitude towards the change.

By: Stephen Billing

Stephen Billing — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:12:02 +0000

Yes, change management is a fad, there are lots of fads out there, all of which have some germs of usefulness to offer.

Not sure I agree that change is a journey (is it a ready made model to see change as a journey?). Suggests the destination is clear and there is a route map. In organisational change I don't think that's the case – too much ambiguity.