Change Is Everybody's Business

by Patricia McLagan, Jonathan Davis, Ken Blanchard

Overview

Change is happening all the time, both planned and unplanned. It's how people respond to change that determines their personal success and, ultimately, the success of their entire organization. Change Is Everybody's Business provides insights and action ideas for people in all workplace roles so they can be conscious and influential participants in change.

The author points out that executives can formulate strategy but it's the everyday actions of lower-level employees that make change happen. She demonstrates how everyone in an organization has the ability to make positive changes, beginning by acknowledging the power they already have. Written in a conversational and supportive style, the book outlines the beliefs, skills, and actions that will enable anyone to welcome and take advantage of change rather than fear and resist it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781576751909
Publisher:	Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	05/10/2002
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.50(d)

Read an Excerpt

Change Is EVERYBODY'S Business

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By PAT McLAGAN

Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

Copyright © 2002 Patricia A. McLagan
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-57675-190-9

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Chapter One

Belief #1

What is 'Normal'

OLD BELIEF:

Stability is normal. Change is an exception.

NEW BELIEF:

Both stability and change are normal.

YOU ARE A BLEND of stability and change. Your genes, your history, your capabilities, all have an ongoing identity that is YOU. An organization is the same way. But you and the company you keep are also constantly changing. The trick is to change fast enough—in a way that keeps you growing and successful, without losing your own center and sanity.

Today, the pace of change is accelerating. This makes it more important to adapt to and influence change. Ironically, it also makes it more important to know and value what makes you, YOU; what makes your organization what it is today.

While change is a popular topic, so are stability topics like "vision," "purpose," and "core capabilities." The irony of accelerating change is that it requires us to see change and stability as two sides of the same coin.

This parallels an amazing scientific discovery of the 20th century: we used to think that energy and matter were different things. Now we know that energy and matter are two expressions of the same thing. A particle (matter) can also be a wave (energy). Think of what happens in nuclear bombs—as small amounts of matter are suddenly broken apart to create all that energy.

The lesson? Each of us must be both a particle (something stable) and a wave (something changing), whether at work or at home and in the community. Neither change nor stability can exist without the other—for us personally, for us at work, or for organizations.

* * *

What are YOUR "DO" Beliefs about "What is Normal?"

If you frequently talk like this ...

"I can't wait until this is over so we can get back to business as usual."

"Let's go back to what worked for us in the past."

Then, your beliefs may be holding you back.

Try to shift to a NEW way of thinking ...

"Let's use this old system as an anchor while we make these changes."

"I want to stay up-to-date on the changes going on around us so I can prepare for them now."

"I'm doing my job well today, but what about tomorrow? I want to stay up-to-date so I can be as good tomorrow as I am today."

An old shop steward, who had been one of the most vocal resisters in an organization-wide empowerment initiative, stood in front of his peers and senior management. His words? "It's taken me some time to realize it, but I had—and have—a lot to learn. For the first time in many years, I feel excited to come to work. But I'm retiring in six months. I only hope that others will take some risks and get more involved after I'm gone."

Chapter Two

Belief #2

On Resistance and Negative Emotions

OLD BELIEF:

Resistance and negative emotions sabotage change.

NEW BELIEF:

Resistance is a wake-up call.

Resistance and emotional responses to change are not bad. They are a signal to pay attention. They are a sign that forces are gathering to shift relationships and move NEW behaviors into the mainstream.

Think of resistance and negative emotions as "persistence energy." They are stability's voice crying out to test the value of a change.

Your resistance belief (Belief #2) relates to your "what is normal" belief (Belief #1). It reflects your view of the normalcy of change. When you believe that "stability is normal; change is the exception," then resistance and negative emotions carry a lot of power. They are a fearsome force: a battle call to protect your ego, to ward off all information and pressures for change, to protect you from annihilation.

However, when you believe that "stability dancing with change is normal," then resistance is only one voice in an important dialogue. It is neither good nor bad. It says: "Here is what it may be important to preserve." "Here are capabilities to continue to use." "Here are strengths I need to leverage." "Here are essential parts of my identity to look at and bring into the future." "Here's a sensitive personal area, so tread softly."

Your resistance and negative emotions may also be saying: "Develop something new—a new perspective, a new belief, some new capabilities." "Get rid of some things, clean out your life and your work closet." "Move away from some old behaviors and beliefs." "Now is the time to challenge thinking you took for granted as a child." "Replace old beliefs with something more vital for the future."

In other words, your resistance and anxiety may be saying, "Now is time for you to take a step into the unknown—to take some risks!!"

For people leading change, resistance from others (including yourself) is a SIGN that something important to people is going on. It is a reminder to respect the strengths and assets that come from the past. Resistance is a call to reframe old qualities and help them serve new purposes. It contains messages about how to design a change so that it can be successful.

"When we shift into more team-focused work, we will lose our highperforming individuals," the resistance voice says, coming from a "win-lose" belief system.

But there is a lot of good energy under this. The challenge is to create a team environment where performance is highly valued and where people are appreciated and challenged. High-performing individuals can help design it.

If you feel that you are a VICTIM OF CHANGE, resistance and negative emotions are signs to call your will into service—to become really conscious. Resistance is a response to feeling threatened. It usually starts as something subtle and unconscious—a feeling, a loss of energy, a disconnection. The natural reaction is to fight and defend, run away, or freeze and comply. You may even try doing more of what you did successfully in the past, faster, with more vigor. In other words, you'll act as though change is "abnormal." All of these reactions can hurt you in the long run.

On the other hand, if you believe that "resistance and negative feelings are useful signals," you'll see resistance and emotional reactions as wake-up calls. They are signs to appreciate what has worked in the past. But they are also signs to look with fresh eyes at what's around you. And they may be signals to open up to doing something new and getting rid of something in you that might be outmoded or dysfunctional.

Of course, resistance and negative emotions can be signs that you need to take a stand against a change. Some changes may be positive in the short term, but have net negative effects in the future. If you feel this is true, then you might decide to resist change.

There is no formula for when to decide to support or resist a change. The important thing is to explore new information and make your choice thoughtfully. Being this open and aware is pretty tough, but it's the best course of action! To do it, you need to explore resistance and negative emotions and understand them before you act.

What are your "DO" Beliefs about "Resistance and Negative Emotions?"

If you frequently do things like ...

React without thinking when something changes around you.

Feel inadequate and stupid when something changes, and then think, "I shouldn't feel this way."

Look for ways to manage and control others' resistance to change.

Keep change and conversations about change on a rational, factual plane, avoiding emotion.

Run away from or fight change without taking time to see its future benefits.

Let your emotions and fears take over and run the show.

Then, your beliefs may be holding you back.

Here are some alternatives ...

Acknowledge signs of resistance and negativity in yourself or others, without judging.

Ask, "What's really at risk here? What is the resistance (mine and/or others') trying to protect? What's the long-term benefit of protecting it? If there is none, how can I/we let go of what's being protected—with respect and dignity for the person or group feeling threatened?"

Ask, "What is this resistance telling us about things we have to do to make this a long-term success?"

Ask, "Is this change creating dilemmas—for me or others—that need to be addressed?"

Then you'll be positioned for success as things change in the new world of work.

A Senior Executive in a major corporation initially supported a new Performance Management process that would bring more information and participation to everyone. Her "say beliefs" supported initiatives like this. However, as the program began to roll out, it became clear that she had to become more aware of her use of her rank and power. She also had to take time to educate people about the business, to delegate, and to let go. She was used to being in charge and inventing ideas herself (her "do" beliefs). Her resistance was obvious to others, but not to herself. She tightened up control and found many things to criticize in her teams' and others' work. When she was challenged, she used rational arguments: "My people aren't ready." "They are very dependent." "They need close supervision." "Their ideas aren't what I would do."

Faced with her control, the people around her went back to "business as usual." People were once more dependent, and her beliefs became a self-fulfilling prophecy. She had lost an opportunity to "use" her resistance energy. It may have been telling her to help her staff develop self-management skills. Instead, she killed a process that could have helped both her and her staff to grow.

Years ago, I was privileged to work with a master of production technology in my company. He frequently complained about his equipment: "It isn't fast enough." "It's too hard to train people on this." But when we decided to purchase a new set of equipment, the production head suddenly became the biggest supporter of the old way. He began to tout the strengths of the old equipment—even kept track of its speed and accuracy compared to the new. Eventually, though, he adopted the new technology and became one of its staunchest supporters. But it took some time. "I was disoriented," he said. "I thought my job was gone. Now I see that my own fears blinded me to this really powerful breakthrough."

His resistance slowed his acceptance. But his persistence energy—his ability to be committed to a direction—became a strength. He became a strong supporter of the new method once its benefits were clear. AND his concerns helped us adapt the new technology to our special needs.

Executives in a major telecommunications company faced traumatic challenges from new and growing competitors as Internet markets heated up. This changing landscape clearly called for a new, more partnering relationship with the company's major unions. But most of the executives grew up under a "win-lose" union-management ethic. They'd been trained to win by either "sucking the union dry" or by treating it as a necessary evil. Management also let the union manage the frontline people in the business. Their adversaries on the union side had a similar "win-lose" history and supported the 'disconnect' between management and workers. In the meantime, as the entire industry changed, many small companies and some formidable competitors took market share. Global players swarmed into previously protected space. In the midst of a changing landscape, the management-union relationship prevented the company from adopting more modern and participative management methods. Shareholder trust dropped, other companies lured top talent away, and the company launched many painful downsizing programs. Both the company and the union suffered a loss of credibility that may never be restored.

What if either or both management and union had said, "This is a really new era—how can we both win? How can we work together to create a new communications future?" Resistance and fear destroyed an opportunity to move the industry in an entirely new direction. It made it possible for competitors to establish strong roots. And surely, the resistance to change is a key factor in making the company a poor investment bet early in the 21st century.

Chapter Three

Belief #3

When Change Starts

OLD BELIEF:

Change starts when we plan it or are forced to change.

NEW BELIEF:

Change starts before we see it.

A major change happened in South Africa in 1994—the year of the first democratic elections, the year that brought Nelson Mandela's party into power. When you hear people outside of South Africa talk about the changes there, they cite 1994 as the beginning of that change. Some people in the United States would say it started with sanctions levied in the 1980s. Change always seems to start when we become conscious of it.

But the current changes in South Africa can be traced back to the mid-1900s and earlier—to courageous actions by people in prisons; to committed actions by some business leaders who saw apartheid as an economic disaster; to debates, dialogues, and personal leadership by church leaders, young and old people of all races in and outside the country; to pressures to participate in a global economy. Some of the change actions seemed like failures at the time. But they were all part of a run-up to the massive change that burst forth into the mainstream in 1994.

Fundamental changes start long before we are aware that a new direction will actually become the mainstream. These changes often start as "failed" projects (Post-it Notes started as a glue that didn't permanently stick), as actions by a minority (The makers of the first PC's couldn't sell them to Xerox). Or they start as shifts in normal patterns that we deny or don't even notice (Think about how fast the INTERNET crept up on us!). A reliable client base starts to erode. Processes that worked in the past begin to falter. People start to resist or criticize a management style that was always accepted in the past.

Closer to home, think about your own health. Problems start long before you recognize them. Many health problems exist as genetic tendencies—there before you were born. They may start as habits that will lead to trouble. Or they may start as dissatisfactions with lifestyle or work that fester in your subconscious and ultimately cause disease. You may go on a special diet, and fail. You may try to stop smoking, and fail. Then, illness strikes and you are forced to pay attention. The illness may be the first time you are even aware there is a problem. But, clearly, the illness is just a noticeable signal in a string of events that started long before.

Now that change is accelerating, we don't have the luxury of missing the subtle clues that change is happening or is needed. We don't have the luxury of denying the need for change just because past efforts "failed" to move into the mainstream. This doesn't mean that every change we hear about is worth supporting. But it does mean we need to be more aware and alert. Tomorrow's big changes already exist as little sparks and failures around us today.

So challenge your beliefs that change starts when you decide to start it, or when you are forced into it. And challenge your conclusions that failed initiatives of the past are not worth pursuing today. Those initiatives (often called "fads," "been there before's") may have been the first sprouts of a major new crop. They may have been trial balloons, unplanned alpha and beta tests, lucky mutations (mistakes), opportunities to practice and build new skills for the real race that lies ahead.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Change Is EVERYBODY'S Business by PAT McLAGAN Copyright © 2002 by Patricia A. McLagan . Excerpted by permission of Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

An important note from the author to you....................ix
Acknowledgments....................xi
Foreword....................xiii
Introduction: Claim Your Change Power....................1
Belief #1: What is "Normal"....................9
Belief #2: On Resistance and Negative Emotions....................13
Belief #3: When Change Starts....................19
Belief #4: How Deliberate Change Happens....................25
Belief #5: When to Commit....................29
Belief #6: The Role of Formal Leaders....................33
Belief #7: The Role of Followers....................39
Part I Conclusion....................45
What is Your Empowering Belief Quotient?....................47
Character Lesson #1: Stand for Something....................59
Character Lesson #2: Be Aware of Your Beliefs and Assumptions....................63
Character Lesson #3: Use Your Emotions....................69
Character Lesson #4: Add Value in Your World....................75
Part II Conclusion....................81
How Empowering is Your Character? A Questionnaire....................83
Action Lesson #1: Be a Business....................89
Action Lesson #2: Develop Information Age Skills....................95
Action Lesson #3: Be Your Own Human Resource Manager....................101
Action Lesson #4: Take Charge of Your Own Change Process....................111
Part III Conclusion....................119
How Empowered are Your Actions? A Questionnaire....................121
Afterword....................125
Resources and Background: A Special Bibliography....................127
Index....................133