The Heart and Mind of Change

1. The Heart and Mind of Change Presented by: Meg FranckPresented to: The AASFAA Spring Symposium Date: April 9, 2010

2. Agenda • General Discussions on Change • Personally • Professionally • John Kotter: Leading Change • Persistence in Change • William Bridges: Transitions • Final Thoughts

3. Focus on Change • Focus Definitions • noun - a central point, as of attraction, attention, or activity • verb - toconcentrate • Our goal is to be mindful of change, to recognize it as part of our lives, to learn more about it, and to find ways to embrace it personally and professionally.

4. Journal • What comes to mind when you think of change? • What do you feel?

5. Journal • List five changes that have occurred in your personal lifeand in yourprofessional life in the last year. • Indicate which changes you initiated and which changes happened to you. • Are there any changes that you foresee in the near future?

6. What does all that tell us? • Change is a part of everyday life – at home, at work, and in the world. Change, in and of itself, is not an experience that is new or different. • Change can be a positive force and bring many opportunities and is not something that should automatically be associated with negative images or feelings. • Leverage your personal experiences to successfully lead change. Understanding how people feel during change is essential.

7. Two Views of Change John P. Kotter Organizational Change Individual Actions Managerial Actions Individual Transitions William Bridges

8. John Kotter

9. * From Leading Change by John P. Kotter

10. Step 1: Establishing a Sense of Urgency • This is the most important of the 8 steps. • True Urgency • A powerful desire to move and win, now • Created and re-created by leadership • People feel that great opportunities and hazards are everywhere • External focus • Continually purge irrelevant activities to provide time for the important ones • Complacency • Contentment with the status quo • Usually the result of past successes • People are afraid of change • Internal focus • Do what has worked in the past • False Urgency • Do not sense that all is well • Usually the product of failures or intense pressure • People feel anxious, angry, frustrated and tired • More activity than productivity

11. “For centuries we have had the expression, ‘Great leaders win over the hearts and minds of others.’ The expression is not,‘ Great leaders win over the minds of others.’ More interesting yet, the expression is not that great leaders win the minds and hearts of others. Heart comes first.” - John Kotter

12. Step 1: Establishing a Sense of Urgency • Strategy: Win over people’s hearts and minds • 4 Tactics • Bring the Outside In • Behave with Urgency Every Day • Find Opportunities in Crisis • Deal with the ‘NoNos’

13. Step 2: Creating the Guiding Coalition • 4 Key Characteristics of an Effective Guiding Coalitions: • Position Power • Expertise • Credibility • Leadership • Find the right people, create trust, and develop a common goal.

14. Step 3: Developing a Vision and Strategy • An effective vision for change should be: • Imaginable • Desirable • Feasible • Focused • Flexible • Communicable

15. Step 4: Communicating the Change Vision • Key Elements in Effective Communication: • Simplicity • Multiple forums and repetition • Leadership by example • Give-and-take • Remember: behavior is a form of communication!

16. Step 5: Empowering Broad-Based Action • Remove any barriers to empowerment, such as: • Structure • Skills • Systems • Supervisors

17. Step 6: Generating Short-Term Wins • The Role of Short-Term Wins • Provide evidence that sacrifices are worth it. • Help fine-tune vision and strategies. • Reward change agents and build momentum. • Undermine cynics and keep bosses on board. • Short-term wins must be planned for and created!

18. Step 7: Consolidating Gains and Producing More Change • More change, not less • More help needed • Leadership from senior management • Project management and leadership from below • Reduction of unnecessary interdependencies

19. Step 8: Anchoring New Approaches in the Culture • Comes last, not first • Depends on results • Requires a lot of talk • May involve turnover • Makes decisions on succession crucial

20. Persistence

21. Lily Pads and the Pond There is one lily pad floating on a pond. Every day the number of lily pads in the pond will double. • If it will take one month to cover the entire pond with lily pads, on what day will the pond be half-covered?

22. The pond won’t be half-covered until the 29th day!

23. Lily Pads and the Pond • Change rarely happens overnight. • Even significant changes may start off small. • Change requires continued efforts over time before the results are clearly visible to others.

24. William Bridges

25. Transitions Transition is the psychological process that people go through to internalize a new situation. Transitions involve three stages: • Endings • The Neutral Zone • New Beginnings * From Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change by William Bridges

26. Endings • Every beginning ends something. • Endings occur during what people perceive as both positive or negative changes. • Endings are viewed in terms of losses (job, people or familiar procedures loss) and letting go. • It’s not the change that most people resist; it’s the transitions.

27. Steps for a smoother Ending transition: • Identify what’s changing and who’s losing what. • Accept the importance of subjective losses. • Expect the signs of grieving. • Give people information, and do it again and again. • Mark the endings. • Treat the past with respect and allow people to carry a piece of the old way with them. • Show how endings ensure the continuation of what really matters.

28. The Neutral Zone • Forward motion seems to stop between ‘was’ and ‘will be’. • Anxiety, sick calls, and turnover increase. • Motivation, energy and productivity decrease. • People can feel isolated and immobilized. • The Neutral Zone provides the greatest opportunity for innovation when used creatively.

29. Steps for a smoother Neutral Zone transition: • Recognize that this a natural and integral part of the process. • Redefine the way The Neutral Zone is viewed. • Create temporary systems to help people function. • Strengthen communication and a sense of group identity. • Be open to feedback. • Promote innovation and an entrepreneurial outlook.

30. New Beginnings • New Beginnings take place when people make an emotional commitment to do things the new way. • New Beginnings involve new understandings, new attitudes and new identities. • People experience new energy and discover a new sense of purpose. • People embrace a new situation and carry out the corresponding change.

31. Steps for a smoother New Beginnings transition: • Clarify and communicate the purpose. • Paint a picture of the new situation. • Create a transition plan. • Give people a part to play.

32. Final Thoughts

33. We no longer live in a world where change is episodic; constant change is our new reality. • We need to find a way to embrace change without succumbing to constant stress, anxiety or a sense of loss. • Create an atmosphere that is open to and embraces the notion of change. • Influence people to change with both emotional connections and compelling reasons.

34. References • A Sense of Urgency. John P. Kotter (2008) Harvard Business Press. • Leading Change. John P. Kotter (1996) Harvard Business School Press. • Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change. William Bridges with Susan Bridges (2009) Da Capo Press.