To change or not to change? The only constant is change...

As business leaders and their teams continue to grapple with the challenges arising from a constant and rapidly changing environment,  a number of tried and tested change management tools and frameworks are being used to identify and create processes which would support end users in managing the change and ensuring least possible collateral damage to employee engagement scores and ultimately business performance results.  These are a few I have encountered: 

1) Lewin 3 Stage Model of Change. In summary, developed in the 1940s, the model is built around 3 steps: unfreezing, changing and refreezing. He explains organizational change as a block of ice. He explains that the process of change entails creating the perception that a change is needed, then moving towards the new desired level of behaviour and finally solidifying the new behaviour as the norm. 

2) Kotter developed the 8 step model more than 20 years ago.  In summary he purports that following the 8 steps if followed in the right order can limit the mistakes they make in bringing about change. The 8 steps are:  

1. Establish a sense of urgency. In all communication, addressing the most important question of all: “why” is critical. The change will fail unless people know the answers to the questions ‘why change?' and ‘why change now?' 

2. Create the guiding coalition. Pull together a leadership team group of people who are in broad agreement about the kind of change needed to guide and lead the change.   

3. Develop a vision and strategy. Vision is a ‘picture of the future with some implicit or explicit commentary on why people should strive to create that future'. In other words, it's a big, exciting goal. 

4. Communicate the change vision. Use metaphors and examples, and use different communication channels to continue repeating the message. 

5. Empower employees for broad based action. Make sure people have the skills, the tools and the systems to bring about the change 

6. Generate short term wins. Create short term wins to keep people motivated. 

7. Consolidate gains and produce more change. Don't give up too soon. 

8. Anchor new approaches into the culture. This suggests that attempting to change culture first is a mistake – better to make the practical changes to structures, processes and behaviour and let these changes lead to a culture change. 

3) PROSCI / ADKAR 

Created by the PROSCI founder Jeff Hiatt, the model is a goal oriented change management model that supports individuals moving through change and improves organizational outcomes. It is an acronym that represents the five tangible outcomes that are required to achieve long lasting change in organizations: 

AWARENESS of the need for change 

DESIRE to participate and support change 

KNOWLEDGE on how to change 

ABILITY to implement required skills and behaviours 

REINFORCEMENT to sustain the change 

4) Nudge was developed by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein in 2008 and is based on the principle that small actions can have an influence on the way people behave. The following are the three actions which are necessary to leading change in organization. 

PERCEPTION NUDGES 

It is important to have an understanding of employees’ perception of the desired change. This will give an idea that what are impediments to change and how these can be overcome by influencing perception of employees. 

MOTIVATION NUDGES 

These are actions which are needed to make employees care about a change. There are many forms of motivational nudges  

ABILITY AND SIMPLICITY NUDGES 

When change is hard and complex and employees feel it is difficult to adopt changes then simple nudges are needed by organization. These simple and tiny actions will improve employees’ ability to adopt to change, e.g. instead of asking people to join a gym or get more physically fit, create conditions in which people start using stairs. 

5) Briges Transition Model identifies the three stages an individual experiences during change: Ending What Currently Is, The Neutral Zone and The New Beginning. Developed by William Bridges, the Bridges Transition Model has been used by leaders and management consultants for more than thirty years. 

Ending 

Transition starts with an ending. This is paradoxical but true. This first phase of transition begins when people identify what they are losing and learn how to manage these losses. They determine what is over and being left behind, and what they will keep. These may include relationships, processes, team members or locations. 

Neutral Zone 

The second step of transition comes after letting go: the neutral zone. People go through an in-between time when the old is gone but the new is not fully operational. It is when the critical psychological realignments and repatternings take place. It is the very core of the transition process. This is the time between the old reality and sense of identity and the new one. People are creating new processes and learning what their new roles will be. They are in flux and may feel confusion and distress. The neutral zone is the seedbed for new beginnings. 

New Beginning 

Beginnings involve new understandings, values and attitudes. Beginnings are marked by a release of energy in a new direction – they are an expression of a fresh identity. Well-managed transitions allow people to establish new roles with an understanding of their purpose, the part they play, and how to contribute and participate most effectively. As a result, they feel reoriented and renewed. 

6) Satir Change Model was developed by Virginia Satir, a family therapist which has been integrated into organizational change models. 

The model’s premise is based on the following: 

• Organizational performance flatlines after a period of growth; to break the status quo, a foreign element (e.g. an enlightened senior stakeholder) introduces a call for change 
• This call for change will meet resistance, with a period of chaos to follow, furthering disrupting performance, before a transforming Idea is integrated throughout the organization 
• Over time, this integration will lead to improvement, to the point where this heightened level of performance becomes firmly established as the new status quo (at which point, the process likely needs to begin anew once more) 

7) PDCA - Plan Do Check Act helps break companies out of stagnancy and transition to a system of continuous improvement. The model was developed in the 1950s by William Deming as a learning or improvement process based on the scientific method of problem solving. 

1. Plan. The planning stage is for mapping out what is going to be done to solve a problem or otherwise change a process. During this step, the problem and the opportunity for change will be identified and analyzed, a hypothesis will be developed for what the underlying issues or causes are, and decide on one hypothesis to test first.  

2. Do. The next step is to test the hypothesis (i.e., your proposed solution). The PDCA cycle focuses on smaller, incremental changes that help improve processes with minimal disruption.  It is recommned that the hypothesis is tested in a small-scale project, preferably in a controlled environment, and that the results be evaluated without causing interruption.  

3. Check. Once the trial is completed, results can be reviewed and analyzed. This stage is important because it allows the solution to be evaluated and plans can be revised. 

4. Act. Finally, it is time to act. If all went according to plan, the tried-and-tested plan can be implemented. This new process now becomes the baseline for future PDCA iterations. 

8) Steven Covey 7 Habits developed from his book written in 1989,  the 8th added in 2004,  is based on the premise that the way we see the world is entirely based on our own perceptions. In order to change a given situation, we must change ourselves, and in order to change ourselves, we must be able to change our perceptions. The way we see the problem is the problem," Covey writes. We must allow ourselves to undergo paradigm shifts, to change ourselves fundamentally and not just alter our attitudes and behaviors on the surface level, in order to achieve true change. 

That's where the seven habits of highly effective people come in: 

• Habits 1, 2, and 3 are focused on self-mastery and moving from dependence to independence. 
• Habits 4, 5, and 6 are focused on developing teamwork, collaboration, and communication skills, and moving from independence to interdependence. 
• Habit 7 is focused on continuous growth and improvement and embodies all the other habits. 

1. Be Proactive 

We are in charge. We choose the scripts by which to live our lives. It is important to use self-awareness to be proactive and take responsibility for our choices. 

2. Begin with the End in Mind 

Start with a clear destination in mind. Covey says we can use our imagination to develop a vision of who we want to become and use our conscience to decide what values will guide us. 

3. Put First Things First 

In order to manage ourselves effectively, we must put first things first. We must have the discipline to prioritize our day-to-day actions based on what is most important, not what is most urgent. 

4. Think Win-Win 

In order to establish effective interdependent relationships we must commit to creating Win-Win situations that are mutually beneficial and satisfying to each party. 

5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood 

Before we can offer advice, suggest solutions, or effectively interact with another person in any way, we must seek to deeply understand them and their perspective through empathic listening. 

6. Synergize 

By understanding and valuing the differences in another person's perspective, we have the opportunity to create synergy, which allows us to uncover new possibilities through openness and creativity. 

7. Sharpen the Saw 

To be effective, we must devote the time to renewing ourselves physically, spiritually, mentally, and socially. Continuous renewal allows us to synergistically increase our ability to practice each habit. 

8 . Effectiveness to greatness 

The renovation and growth of your company begins when you change the core elements of who you are. Once you determine to make the change, implement the Stephen Covey seven habits of highly effective people and refuse to give up, then innovation is sure to follow. 

Whilst these tools and models provide important frameworks, processes and systems, end users have reported them achieving limited results in developing and sustaining leaders and high performing actively engaged teams. They appear to be a “means to an end”. In my work as an Engage and Grow Master Coach, our leadership, culture and engagement programmes have proven to be transformational in creating and sustaining long lasting change in behaviours and in improving relationships. The programmes are based on a robust formula which includes the exploration of the 7 neurological motivators and 6 core human needs combined with a methodology of facilitated discussion, shared experience and others teaching others.  It is a seamless and synergistic programme to support the outcomes of change management tools and its results prove time and time again, that this is not an end in itself, but truly “an end to a means”.