5 Change

5.1 Introduction

There are thousands of books and articles on change and change management. In spite of all this "wisdom", many (possibly most) change initiatives have only partial success or fail completely. It is clear that there is no magic formula, no one model or theory that is right for all situations. Nevertheless, the research on change does have some useful things to tell us. In this module we will look at some theories and models about change. Some of the ideas will resonate with you while others might feel less useful. It's OK to reject a model, but it's important for you to know why you are doing that.

The module consists of 5 pages of content. Use the "Continue the course" links at the bottom of each page to work through the pages in order. To choose another module use the buttons at the bottom of the page.

Before we look at what others say about change, please take a few minutes to think about some changes that you have experienced or observed. These should be changes initiated by others, not ones that you started.

Reflection

1. Think of a recent change that went well. What made is work? How did people feel in the change process? What, for you, were the things that made it positive?
2. Now think about a change, or a proposed change, that didn't work. What was happening to obstruct the process? What, for you, were the most negative aspects of the process?
3. What were the differences? What made you (and others) accept or support one change while resisting the other?

You can use the Stepping Into Leadership Course Workbook to record your thoughts.

As you work through the ideas on change it might be useful to consider different types of change.

• Changes that are incremental - that can happen while the majority of things continue as normal
• Changes that are more fundamental, involve great upheaval and impact on the whole organisation
• Changes that you initiate and lead and manage
• Changes that are imposed from a more senior management or political level

(Feel free to add to this list!)

Each of these will have very different characteristics and will require different responses and strategies. Your own feelings and emotions will depend on how committed you are to the proposed change and the degree to which you feel able to contribute to it.

When looking at the different theories and models try to connect them to your own experiences as a way of testing the ideas and creating your own set of principles for leading and responding to change.

Continue the course with: 5.2 John Kotter on change