Nature of Change: Key Factors

The selection and the role of problem owner

Effective managers monitor the operational environment from both an internal and external perspective By doing so, they may identify change situations developing on the horizon and as identifiers of the change they at least initially become the change owners.

Early identification and ownership tends to increase the probability of a change being seen in an opportunistic manner and therefore possibly being considered to be less threatening.

For delegation to be effective in a change context, or for that matter in management in general, it must be accompanied by an ‘educational’ programme and a marketing exercise designed to pass over the ownership, responsibility and capability for the task at hand.

A problem owner must possess both the skills to manage the transition process and the determination to see the change through. In short they must be the change agents.

Locating Change on the Change Spectrum

Our reaction to a particular change event will be influenced by its nature.

Solution methodologies are based firmly on the systems school of managerial decision-making and analysis:

The TROPICS Test

The TROPICS test can be applied to access both the impact and magnitude of the impending change. It is capable of determining the most appropriate solution methodology for entering the change management process. It requires a minimal expenditure of management time and resources, as it does not need detailed quantifiable information as input. The factors that should be considered by both the problem owner and any associated management team are as follows:

Time scales, Resources, Objectives, Perceptions, Interest, Control, Source

Force Field Analysis

Force field analysis is a positioning tool that assists the management of change by examining and evaluating, in a basic yet useful manner, the forces for and against the change. It is also of use when considering the position of the problem owner and/or management team with reference to the power sources, both internal and external to the change, which may influence their ability to effectively manage the situation. The situation is further complicated by the fact that complex change situations, or at least the approach adopted to solving them, cannot be separated from wider organizational strategy.

When an individual or group have initiated certain actions, which in turn have to be managed, then they are more likely to display positive attitudes towards the situation and view the whole transition process as an opportunity to be exploited.

By producing a force field diagram for each individual, group or function affected by the change, the problem owner can analyze the relative magnitude of the conflicting forces, as well as develop an understanding of the underlying arguments, fears, and influencing factors.

Success Guarantors

Possibly one of the most fundamental steps in achieving the successful implementation of change is that of obtaining a shared perception amongst those affected, concerning their viewpoint regarding the issues and implications associated with the change.

There are a number of influential factors, which will come together in such a way as to mould the way in which individuals, groups and organizations view particular change situations. The main factors are as follows:

Organizational Culture, Source of Change, Social Background, Education History, Employment History, Style of Management, Problem Ownership, Experience

Managing the Triggers

Those involved in the management of change need to ensure that they have established, within reason, the exact nature of the change they are about to face. They must not lose sight of the fact that change must be viewed as an event capable of causing multiple dislocations to the organization’s culture, structure, systems and outputs.