Often successful change approaches are built not using a structured and well-defined series of logics but often using a cookie-cutter, standard change approach or change program template. In some cases, a ‘gut-feel’ may also be used based on stakeholder wishes or preferences. This could result in change efforts not supporting the right model of change that dos not lead to the right outcomes. These are subject to stakeholder criticism nor do not achieve the goals of the initiative.
The usual standard change approach for most initiatives (leveraging from the most popular change management models) often entail the following.
Stakeholder engagement – setting up forums
sending emails to stakeholders
Training – planning for and executing training
delivery to ensure users understand the new system/process
Pre-go live readiness – send reminder emails and
build intranet articles to raise awareness
How might we better derive change approach using sound logic and an evidence-backed approach?
One way to construct a logical, structured and well-thought-through change approach is by using a logic tree. A logic tree is a visualization that captures all the component parts of a problem, in order to make it easier to identify a hypothesis that can then be tested using data and analysis. Logic trees are great for making decisions by visually decomposing the various elements and reviewing these holistically. In this way it can be used as a ‘change model’ or change framework to achieve outcomes such as driving new behaviours, role model standards, continuous improvement, digital transformation or improved performance management.
In the following example, a family uses a logic tree to decide which new town to move to by narrowing almost 30 possible potential locations to just one. In the following diagram (from Bulletproof problem solving, Wiley 2019) you can see how this family started with the problem it is trying to solve, and then broke down the problem into its elements. Then within each branch a weighting is assigned to each branch, in terms of percentages. Then each sub-branch is also assigned weightings.
Then as a next step data can be collected to determine which town meets the various criteria as defined in the logic tree. By doing this, laying out the various components, and analysing its weightings, you can derive the best location.
This is how McKinsey consultants and other strategy consultants solve large complex problems and gain a competitive edge to lead to business improvement. The logic tree forces you to structure your problem versus being lost in focusing on certain approaches and neglecting others. Any problem can be solved using this approach. Even the largest of problems can be broken down into its smallest components.
Strategy consultants then go through every branch to analyse them and collect data to prove or disprove each branch one by one. This means, that each branch or hypothesis is tested and proven or disproven. In this way, every option is considered and the chance of making a wrong decision is greatly reduced.
So how might we build a logic tree that helps derive the change approach for an initiative?
Start by defining the problem or question to be addressed. What is the goal of the initiative? The change objective. Is it to implement a new system that is fully adopted by its users? Is it to increase cross-selling by sharing customer information across business units? Is it to achieve cost savings, adopt best practices or improve work environment?
Think of the broader buckets (or building blocks) of each branch. What are the core types of change approaches to address the problem (both hard elements and soft elements)? Think widely and carefully about all the types of buckets possible that would address the problem.
Expand the branches until you have covered all possibilities. In the process you are likely to come up with new ideas you may not have thought of.
Go through and assign a weighting in percentage terms to each branch and then use this to determine the focus and importance you may want to place on certain branches in terms of research and data collection
Go through each branch and systematically to reject any that do not apply based on data. For example, one branch could be to use video as a channel to communicate. However if the data shows that previous usage of video to communicate key messages did not result in raising awareness for this stakeholder group, then reject this option
Here is one partial example of deriving a change approach for a customer complaints project. (notice it looks like an organisational structure).
One important principle to note when building branches is to ensure that the branches are MECE. MECE stands for mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive. Mutually exclusive means that you need to ensure that each branch is unique and does not overlap with any other branch. Collectively exhaustive means that every option or alternative has been considered and nothing is left off. In this way, the branches you have built are bulletproof from a logical structure perspective.
Building a change approach using a structured approach that is data-supported and logic tested will earn significant stride with the most critical of your stakeholders. You can even hold a workshop to work with your stakeholders to define the logic tree and assign weightings so that that the agreed approach is one that is clearly visible and logically sound.
Another important point to keep in mind is how each of the branches of the logic tree change approach will interface into the overall change environment. When planning on the execution of the overall change approach or each branch of the approach, one needs to be clear around the velocity and volume of change and what else is happening in the change landscape, or the overall change story. Using data visualisation tools such as The Change Compass is one way to grasp and plan around the change environment.
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Move over older concepts and motivation theories such as Lewin’s, Bridges and Kubler-Ross models that are dated and not based on years of rigorous research….. It’s time we started to focus on well-researched and evidence-backed models that explain people’s behaviours in change. Of course there is no single approach that may provide the best results in the motivation of a group of employees. However, this framework provides valuable insights of the types of motivation for individual employees that lead to employee commitment to organizational change.
Change management practitioners often grapple with the challenge of employee motivation to embrace change. A powerful framework that can guide this process is Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which emphasizes the importance of intrinsic motivation (versus eternal factors) and the fulfilment of basic hierarchy of needs of people within the work environment. This theory of human motivation takes into account critical tiers of human needs of employee development or professional development that leads to the outcome of employee engagement. By understanding and applying SDT, practitioners can create environments that foster genuine motivation for change.
Understanding Self-Determination Theory
SDT identifies three core psychological needs essential for motivation:
Autonomy: The need to feel in control of one’s actions and decisions as one of the basic needs that leads to employee satisfaction and a positive work environment. When individuals perceive they have a choice, they are more likely to engage willingly in change initiatives.
Competence: This refers to the desire to feel effective and capable at the individual level that leads to employee performance. Providing opportunities for skill development, career development, performance reviews and positive feedback can enhance individuals’ sense of competence, making them more motivated to pursue change.
Relatedness: The need to feel connected and understood by others also leads to job satisfaction. Building supportive relationships and social connections foster a sense of belonging, which can significantly enhance motivation. This is a basic condition of human nature that focuses on intrinsic factors rather than external factors of needs theory that lead to job enrichment.
By addressing these needs, change management practitioners can cultivate an environment where individuals are intrinsically motivated to engage in and sustain change.
Applications in Change Management
Foster Autonomy: Encourage team members to take ownership of their roles in the change process with targeted performance goals. Allow them to set personal goals related to the change initiative and choose how they want to achieve those goals forms a solid foundation. This autonomy can lead to greater commitment and enthusiasm.
Build Competence: Offer training sessions and resources that help individuals develop the skills necessary for the change. Celebrate small wins to reinforce their capabilities, which boosts confidence and motivation.
Enhance Relatedness: Create opportunities for collaboration and open communication among team members. Establishing peer support systems or mentorship programs can help individuals feel connected, fostering a supportive environment conducive to change.
Linking SDT with Agile Teams
In Agile environments, where adaptability and collaboration are crucial, SDT aligns perfectly with team dynamics:
Empowered Teams: Agile practices emphasize self-organizing teams, which inherently supports autonomy. Team members are encouraged to make decisions collectively, enhancing their sense of ownership over the process.
Continuous Feedback: Agile methodologies promote regular feedback loops, which not only help build competence but also reinforce a culture of learning and growth.
Collaboration: Agile teams thrive on collaboration, fulfilling the need for relatedness. Daily stand-ups, retrospectives, and pair programming foster connections among team members, enhancing their commitment to shared goals.
Motivating change is not just about implementing new processes; it’s about understanding what drives people. By leveraging Self-Determination Theory, change management practitioners can create an environment that nurtures autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This approach not only facilitates smoother transitions but also cultivates a culture of intrinsic motivation—essential for sustaining long-term change. Embracing these principles within Agile frameworks further enhances team dynamics, making the journey toward change both effective and empowering.
Click here to download the infographic on ‘Self-Determination Theory’ of motivation. Stay tuned for our up-coming article on this.
Recently, with the relentless pace of work, the changing weather conditions, and inadequate sleep, I had caught a cold. In recovering from the cold I started wondering more about the whole life cycle of sickness and wellness. Could it be that we can leverage from medicine how we improve the health of the organization as we design the change management process? In many ways, organizational health and well-being can be an analogy to how healthy a human being is. If the health of the organization is not great due to various imbalances in the system, it can fall ill and become less effective, thereby not meeting its goals, which is a topic often discussed in various organizational health blogs.
So how may we leverage the clinical approach that medicine adopts to disease treatment and maintenance of health to how we approach change management for positive change? In Medicine, the approach is based on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. Let’s use these three phases to further understand what this approach means when applied in a change management context.
Diagnosis
One of the most important parts of being a medical practitioner is the ability to establish rapport with a patient. We have all been to doctors who spend barely 5 minutes with us and quickly subscribe pills before moving on to the next patient. Whilst the ramifications of limited rapport may not be great with a minor ailment, with complex diseases lack of rapport may result in the wrong diagnosis as important detail may have been missed or not prompted.
To effectively diagnose a patient the medical practitioner begins by taking the medical history before commencing on a physical examination. In a similar way, to really understand what is going on in the organization and why it needs to change we need to understand where it has been. Can an organization’s history can tell us why it is in the position that it is in currently? What are external factors? What has worked or has not worked in the past in undergoing change? What best practices have been used? Have there been incidents where change outcome was disastrous? What were the lessons learnt? What leadership style or ways of engagement has worked?
Similar to undertaking a physical examination, it is also important to analyze what conditions the organization is in currently prior to implementing a change. How effective are different levels of leaders is driving and engaging their teams on change initiatives? Is there any ‘signal loss’ in cascading information up and down or across the organization? What have been some of the common stories told about change? What systems are in place to support change initiatives? For example, change champions, communication channels or learning processes.
Diagnostic tools
Physicians leverage diagnostic tools in diagnosing a patient’s illness. This is based on what is presented by the patient and the physician’s overall assessment based on visible or inferred observations. For example, the DSM-5 is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders that is used to diagnose psychological and psychiatric disorders. The physician does not blindly follow the diagnostic tools to formulate an assessment. In the same way in diagnosing the organization we should also seek to understand first and then make the diagnosis based on evidence (inferred or observable). In this way, we should not blindly follow a particular change framework in ‘diagnosing’ the organization as this depends on the organization as well as the chosen change framework.
In change management we do not have just one diagnostic tool, we have several frameworks in which to help our diagnosis. There is no one framework that is applicable in all situations. Different models may be useful in certain situation. The trick is to know which ones to leverage in the right type of situations. There are various models such as the Mckinsey STAR model, systems theory, SWOT analysis, nudge theory, or force field analysis to identify key issues across the organisations. Here, we focus on some of the more ‘change-specific models’.
John Kotter’s theory (8-step model) is great when applied to a significant strategy execution, restructuring or organization-wide change. In these situations, the strategy vision clarity has to be clear, a clear sense of urgency created and understood, and strong leadership coalition to drive through any employee resistance to the change. With this type of significant change leaders need to continuously drive and reinforce the change, and integrate this within the ways of working within the organization.
However, when the organizational change is more of a project such as a technology or process change, then the Prosci ADKAR change management model (Awareness Desire Knowledge Ability Reinforcement) model may be more relevant. This is a process focused model that aims to transition an individual from the current situation to the new state. Key enablers or activities may be executed on to help drive this transition. These include providing the right communications, addressing any employee inputs, training sessions, coaching and recognition for the right behaviors adopted.
When the change involves significant restructuring where there could be redundancies including role changes and people transitions then the Kubler-Ross model may be leveraged. The model outlines an individual’s emotional journey through loss and stages of grief during the change process. The journey starts with shock, denial, then frustration, depression, experimentation and finally decision and integration. As often with significant people transitions and job redundancies emotions are high and these need to be carefully addressed and managed. However, if the change is more focused on a simple process change where there is not a lot of heightened emotional reactions, this model may not be as useful.
The change practitioner is not always engaged or consulted at the beginning of a change initiative. Sometimes it is only when things are not going well and according to plan that the change consultant is engaged to turn things around. Irrespective of whether the change initiative is in the commencement or in the middle of the journey, effective organizational diagnosis is important to understand exactly what change intervention is required to address the situation. You may need to conduct focus groups as a part of employee engagement to get this data, and depending on the measurement model you take a Likert system analysis may be used.
Just as a good medical practitioner will utilize a combination of evidence/data and judgment according to diagnostic frameworks to determine the best course of treatment, the change practitioner should also follow suit. What types of data should be used to not only diagnose but also to subscribe treatment? The following is a summary of key types of data to look for and collect.
What is the change
– Why is the organisational change necessary?
– What does the change benefit? Its customers or its employees?
– What does the end state look like?
What is the impact
– Who is impacted by the change projects?
– What is the extent of the impact?
– What are the impacts on the role/person/organization? How does it affect organizational culture, organisational structures or organizational performance?
– What time period is the impact? In what ways?
– What are the change transition activities proposed?
Readiness for the change
– How ready are the impacted people for the change? What is the organisational diagnosis?
A good physician looks at the patient as a whole and not just the particular symptoms he or she is presenting. Based on the the symptoms presented, it could be that there are several disorders and not just one. In a similar way, a change leader needs to understand what the total picture of change in doing an organisational diagnosis is and not just isolate change to one project. Understanding what the totality of changes mean to the impacted stakeholder will go a long way in deriving what change approach or support is required.
To effectively diagnose a change situation the practitioner needs to use a data and evidence-based approach to understand where the organization has been, where it is and where it is going. Again using data, the practitioner needs to effectively frame the problem and diagnose the situation using the appropriate change model/framework(s). The right diagnose is critical to ensure the right change intervention is subscribed. For the same reason that wrongly diagnosing a patient could lead to further illness the same can be said for the wrong diagnosis of the change situation for an organization.
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As a first step in understand the change, change management practitioners usually classify different change impacts into people, process, technology, and customer. There is a great effort and focus placed on describing exactly what the impact of change is from a project or program perspective as a part of the change management plan. The impact analysis can include the processes changes, critical behaviours, as well as how different the new technology and new process is going to be compared to the current process.
However, adopting a user-centric view of change impact (versus a project team’s view) is critical in driving successful change.
Often what is seen as impact as felt by various job roles can be very very different from what is experienced by the end-user as a part of the current state. In order to drive towards the benefits of the change, we need to take into consideration any negative thoughts, support system, employee morale, mindset, and performance review processes for those stakeholders impacted by the change. Let’s take a few examples.
When a project is ‘rolled out’. There are can be a lot of different impacted audience factors to consider. These can include:
Location
Role
Gender
Digital fluency
Age
Length of service
Team size
Availability of support staff
Availability of effective 2-way communication platforms
Effective learning and development processes in place
Functional skill sets
So depending on how these organizational change factors determine the impact of the change initiative on groups of individuals, identified specific impacts can be different. In the change impact assessment process, these should be carefully teased out and identified explicitly. Even how we express the names of the impacts should consider how the changes are perceived.
For example, is an impact ‘Team Leader briefing team members about the new process’ or ‘Weekly team meeting to discuss new process changes’? The initial wording is more focused on the new process, whereas the latter one illustrates that there can be various changes discussed in the meeting. So as a result, practitioners need to be open to the environment in which their messages will be delivered and through this better position and clarify the meaning of the change from the team’s perspective. E.g. can this change be delivered as a bundle with other process changes?
In a recent example, a person is understood by the organisation to be undergoing 6 separate initiatives each with their various impacts. Each initiative has fleshed out the various project impacts and these are listed and planned explicitly. However, this is from the organisation’s perspective. In fact, what the individual is undergoing is quite different.
There are changes that the team or division is undergoing that are not always taken into consideration such as people or team changes. On top of this there are also seasonal workload impacts from the likes of end of financial year, audits or pre-holiday season workload. On top of this, there are also various Covid considerations to take into account – the mother of all changes at the moment. Lockdown and social distancing have profound impacts on individuals leading to physical and psychological health impacts.
A lot of change management approaches are based on viewing change as negative and how to manage this negative experience. The super popular Kubler-Ross model was used to explain the grieving process and later became adopted as a change model. Kubler-Ross developed this model after observing the emotional transition of terminally ill patients, from shock, denial, anger, depression, acceptance and integration. Since then the change curve has been used to cater to all types of change.
John Kotter’s 8-step model of leading change also begins with a potentially negative context of creating a sense of urgency amongst key stakeholders. The context is … in times of change, if the organization does not do ‘A’ then ‘B’ will happen. The thinking is that providing this context of what negative things will come if we don’t act, we can get traction on building the impetus for change. Step 5 is about enabling action by removing barriers and friction – anticipating and working on these obstacles will enable change success.
Moreover, the language we use in change management in driving successful change tends to be about managing negative incidents. A key focus we have is about anticipating and managing employee and stakeholder resistance on the human side of change to support successful change management is of utmost importance. Anticipating potential obstacles of the impact of change using a structured approach is key to employee engagement. Another focus is on ensuring that senior managers are reinforcing and driving down the message as a part of effective change management strategies. The idea is that without the hierarchical charge and push change will not be adopted by employees.
Yes, in the current state, many of our changes can be perceived as negative by impacted parties, e.g. restructuring, outsourcing, and system replacement. However, there is opportunity for us to adopt a more positive approach to inspire change, versus aiming to manage the negative aspects of change. This can be augmented by strong leadership, a clear desired future state, a culture of resilience and supportive environment to work with the status quo.
When I was working a psychologist I remember meeting Martin Seligman when he was visiting Sydney, Australia. Martin Seligman is the father of positive psychology. He broke away from the traditional psycho-analytical approach to psychology that focused on studying mental illness. Instead, he was more interested in studying healthy and well-adjusted people. The basis is that, if we can better understand how healthy traits are fostered (for example, the study of happiness or being positive), then we can better contribute to the health and well-being of everyone and create successful outcomes for individuals.
So how do we practice positive change management? By simply applying Martin Seligman’s PERMA model. In ‘Flourish’ (2011) he proposed the PERMA model for achieving positive well-being: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and purpose, and Accomplishments.
Design in Positive emotions in the change process. These include excitement, pride, awe, etc. Instead of creating a burning platform through instilling fear and despair, focus on building hope and excitement. In selling the vision of change, leaders and change agents can focus on inspiring change and describing what can be gained at the end of the journey and how this benefits the audience. Celebrating successes along the way with the right company culture can also be a way of building positive emotions throughout the change journey.
Engagement means being involved in activities that someone is interested in. In the change context, we should work to leverage the interests and passions of various employee and stakeholder groups. Broad engagement is important, but as important is to match the interest and type of involvement of stakeholders. For example, if we are implementing a process change, we may want to involve those who have given feedback about the current process or even have proposed options to the existing process. This may also be applied to customer feedback. Customers who are engaged and interested in product improvement may be leveraged to build and design the change.
Relationships are identified as critical in building positive emotions. Within a change context, we should work on identifying and leveraging relationships to proliferate and support the change. This includes online platforms such as intranet and Yammer, as well as the relationships of team, business unit and communities of practice. All these are potential relationship platforms to spread the change message and generate support, excitement and positivity. Instagram and Facebook posts can also be examples of this.
Meaning refers to purpose, or the ‘why’. Linking the change to a greater good beyond the immediate people involved is critical to instill ‘meaning’. This aims to link as much as possible, a higher purpose of the why of change. Ideally, it is not just about making more money or being more efficient, but doing what’s right by the customer, or by the community, for example. It may be linking the change to the organization’s charter and purpose. This greater good is much more motivating for people.
Accomplishments refer to the activation of positive emotions such as pride that come with achievements and mastery. The sense of achievement can be either at an individual, team or organizational level. During the change rollout process, calling out and celebrating accomplishments is key. Acknowledgments should be made at all levels, individuals, teams, and business unit levels.
When there is a lot of change going on in an organization, significant opportunities present in the business model. There is opportunity to look at the total change picture and draw linkages to the same ‘why’ amongst different change initiatives. This linkage amongst different initiatives strengthens the meaning and purpose of the change toward the strategic goals. In the same way, employee and customer groups may be engaged for a range of change initiatives toward the new direction that may be complementary and tap on the same interest and desires of the groups involved. Accomplishments may also be celebrated across the quarter or the month if there were significant changes that were achieved. To find out how to use data to map the change picture to enable these activities, visit www.thechangecompass.com.
