CITI - partners in change » Managing resistance

A major retailer had introduced a new, heavily computerised system

Paul Ashton — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:53:38 +0000

A major retailer had introduced a new, heavily computerised system for buying and distributing ambient temperature goods. The buyers were resisting the implementation, and constantly identifying shortcomings in the process, the coding and the operational capability of the system.

Research was undertaken with the buyers to establish what it was about the system that they saw as unacceptable, and sought for ways to restructure the implementation so that it delivered the benefits claimed.

It became clear that the implementation was regarded by the buyers as debasing their self-worth, as they saw themselves as relationship managers, experts in the ways of the suppliers they dealt with, and as negotiators, people who made deals; not – as they described it – as data entry clerks.

Working closely with HR and the business unit managers, the training and the remuneration packages were redesigned. The value of good MI was emphasised and motivated by performance-related pay being associated with good record keeping (a recognised weakness in the earlier systems) and a re-emphasis on the gaining and utilisation of business intelligence on the suppliers.

Focus on corporate behaviour was strengthened with the buyers becoming a vocal force in the use and deployment of business intelligence to further the ambitions of the retailer.

Improving clients capability in marketing

Paul Ashton — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:39:31 +0000

The exposure of our higher education institutions to a more competitive marketplace led a client to focus on improving its capability in marketing. The faculties were enthused by the potential influx of students, but this initial commitment tended to fade in the face of more immediate and pressing matters. Recognition that the faculties did not have a common view of the proposed changes prompted the adoption of a more sophisticated, targeted communications approach, and waning enthusiasm was rekindled.

We have helped many organisations identify and deal with the ‘people’ challenges of change

Paul Ashton — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 13:17:15 +0000

A newly appointed director of wealth management in a bank was handed an unmanageable portfolio of work. He attempted to gain agreement from the management team on which projects to drop and confirm which were most important. This proved to be impossible because of conflicting agendas and very differing views as to what was ‘important’. CITI worked with the management team to clarify and gain agreement on the prioritisation criteria whist ensuring all involved had a common understanding about what was being done and why. This allowed for a significant ‘cleansing’ of the portfolio and acceptance of where scarce resource needed to be deployed.

Moving hearts and minds

Thomas Docker — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:57:10 +0000

If the numbers of people in the UK attending and watching the London 2012 Paralympics Games is a valid indicator, then prejudice against individuals with disabilities should be under increasing pressure. Hopefully, the Paralymics proves to be the tipping point.

It can be argued that there has been a paradigm shift in people’s attitude to disability – a moving of hearts and minds – as a consequence of the special circumstances provided by the Paralympics.

Does it always take special circumstances to achieve a paradigm shift? What is the value of difference?

Watch the video on Sue Austin, an artist who has changed hearts and minds through doing the extraordinary.

http://www.ted.com/talks/sue_austin_deep_sea_diving_in_a_wheelchair.html

What lessons can you identify for managing change, particularly for dealing with resistance in change?

Our stakeholders have potentially conflicting perspectives and priorities regarding the change – what should we do?

Paul Ashton — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 09:13:04 +0000

Individuals have their own motivations and agendas. This is not the result of malevolence or deliberate troublemaking – it’s just the way things are. In order for change to happen and stick, individuals need to be effectively supported in understanding the need for the change and how it will impact them, so that they can internalise the change and be committed to it. Identifying an individual’s perceptions of what is in their favour, their WIIFMs (“What’s in it for me?”), and what is against them, their WAMIs (“What’s against my interests?”) is extremely valuable, but not always easy to do, and helps to identify where potential resistance and conflicts may surface.
If it’s not wanted, the change will not be successful. Failing to understand and address the political and cultural environment is a common reason for change not succeeding in the way it should. Consistent and continuous engagement and clear communications are essential, as are allowing individuals to voice their concerns.

Things to consider

Is there a clear, shared change vision?
Have all the stakeholders, those impacted by the change, been consulted and actively engaged?
Have personal agendas been taken into account?
Don’t stifle healthy conflict, as this often identifies valid concerns as well as showing commitment.
Discourage unhealthy conflict through agreeing and publicising acceptable change behaviours.
Manage resistance to the change; don’t resist it.

How can we prevent the business being drowned by ‘too much’ change?

Paul Ashton — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:35:03 +0000

When you are deeply involved in managing a change journey it is easy to overlook the fact that a very significant amount of change can be happening in a single location at the same time, as a result of multiple change initiatives. This can quickly lead to ‘change fatigue’ with resulting low morale, increased resistance, low productivity and high levels of absenteeism or attrition.

Properly structured change initiatives, involving programmes and projects, are designed to avoid this but, too often, insufficient thought and planning is put into how the impacted business units will adopt multiple ‘waves’ of change. Effective portfolio and change management disciplines are good at addressing planned change, driven by the strategy, but not always adequate at coping with additional significant ‘must do’ changes.

Things to consider

Has your organisation an overarching corporate portfolio view of change?
Have you discussed and agreed with affected business units:
- The type, rate and volume of change being introduced into their areas?
- How much change they are trying to introduce themselves and how much is coming from external initiatives?
- How any concerns and issues can be overcome?
- Where ‘hot-spots’ will arise and what strategies and tactics will be used to address these?
- What must be sacrificed to ensure that the operational business units will not be overwhelmed?

We are asking people to change their way of working day-to-day. How do we make that happen?

Paul Ashton — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:36:25 +0000

Directed change brings discomfort for most of those on the receiving end of the change – at least in the short term – and usually means their doing something wanted by someone else, rather than themselves. This discomfort typically translates into resistance. We, therefore, need to manage resistance by finding ways to motivate individuals to adopt the changes and adopt others’ desires and ambitions as their own.

An organisational-wide change arises from the sum of all the individuals’ change behaviours – and there lies a challenge. There is generally not a single, completely shared change journey, but multiple transformations, and so there is no single motivation or change process that will work.

It has been said that running a programme is like herding cats; shepherding individuals and groups and pushing them forward is difficult. Of course, if you want the cats to behave ‘rationally’, the best way is to put ‘treats’ where you want them to go, and wait. What then count as ‘treats’ for those who need to change?

Things to consider

Have you identified what counts as ‘achievement‘ in the vision of the new world and any ‘natural’ rewards in the outcomes?
Has the change initiative developed sign-post Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for use during the transition period?
Have you modelled rewards in terms of pay, promotion and praise (non-financial reward? (Each ‘p’ has a major contribution to play in developing and embedding behaviours)
Are the value systems of the groups that are to change identified and understood?

And are you considering

linking jobs and roles to recognisably valuable outcomes
replacing the KPIs for the change with operational ones after the transition – defining a profile over time that recognises the occurrence of learning?
involving the adopters in the design of any new processes.