MANAGING CHANGE by Robert Heller. DK Publishing, 1998
INTRODUCTION (p4-5)
PART 1 --- UNDERSTANDING CHANGE (p6-15)
1) WHY CHANGE? --- Change affects every aspect of life. Taking a proactive approach to change is the only way to take charge of the future both as an individual or as an organization! (p6-7)
[1] Being open to change
[2] Seeing the effects
[3] Changing naturally
You can approach change with an open mind, and learn to develp its positive elements.
(1) Write down any changes you would like and plan for them! (p6)
(2) If you find that you are resisting change, ask yourself why?
(3) Seek out people who welcome change --- and become their ally
(4) THINK before following the same policy as everyone else!
2) UNDERSTANDING THE CAUSES OF CHANGE (p8-9)
[1] Social causes
[2] Economic causes
[3] Technological causes
(5) Respond positively to uncertainty rather than avoiding change
(6) Cultivate curiosity --- try to become the best-informed person you know
(7) Master and use new information technology --- do not hide from it!
(8) Bear in mind that technology is changing more and more quickly!
3) RECOGNIZING SOURCES OF CHANGE (p10-11)
[1] Changing from within
[2] Responding to rivals
[3] Responding to contexts
[4] Looking at "personality" --- Your character affects your propensity to change!
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Over the last 12 months, what significant changes have you personally made?
2. Do you try to anticipate external changes and act on your findings?
3. Have you contributed to any internal change programs?
4. Do you listen to ideas for change coming from below?
5. Do you react positively to demands for change?
(9) Welcome "change initiatives" from all sources!
(10) Always respond positively to changes outside your organization
(11) Encourage subordinates to suggest ideas for change projects
4) CATEGORIZING TYPES OF CHANGE (p12-15)
[1] Analyzing change
[2] Gradual change
[3] Radical change
[4] Crisis management
[5] Cultural differences in development of proactive change methods in facing national crises
(12) Consider the combined effects of different types of change
(13) When analyzing change, look at both short-term and long-term contexts
(14) Learn from crises to prevent them from recurring
(15) Aim to equal or surpass the best examples you find
(16) Be different and better than the competition if you want to be the winner
PART 2 --- PLANNING CHANGE (p16-53)
(17) Realistically (politically) assess your organization's strengths and weaknesses
(18) Keep your vision statements to one or two short sentences
(19) Change "corporate (organizational) culture" through individuals, not vice versa
5) Focusing on goals (p16-17)
6) Identifying the demand for change (p18-19)
7) Selecting essential changes (p20-21)
8) Evaluating complexity (p22-23)
9) Planning ways to involve people (p24-27)
10) Choosing a timescale (p28-29)
11) Making an action plan (p30-33)
12) Anticipating effects (p34-37)
13) Anticipating resistance to change (p38-39)
14) Testing and checking plans (p40-41)
PART 3 --- IMPLEMENTING CHANGE (p42-55)
15) Communicating change (p42-45)
16) Assigning responsibility (p46-47)
17) Developing commitment (p48-49)
18) Changing culture (p50-51)
19) Limiting resistance (p52-55)
[1] Detecting resistance (p52)
[2] Active resistance (p52)
[3] Passive resistance (p53)
[4] Countering arguments (p54)
[5] Encouraging directness (p54)
[6] Using meetings (p54)
[7] Combating fears (p55)
[8] Dealing with NEGATIVE REACTIONS TO CHANGE (p55)
PART 4 --- CONSOLIDATING CHANGE (p56-70)
20) Monitoring progress (p56-57)
21) Reviewing assumptions (p58-61)
REVIEW --- QUESTIONS, PRINCIPLES AND ACTIONS FOR CHANGE-MAKERS
(20) Strive to satisfy the needs of both employees and customers
(21) Cherish customers who complain --- they tell you what to change
(22) Remember that quality of product depends upon quality of process
(23) Use objective measures of customer response
(24) Prioritize change in key areas, then focus attention more widely
(25) Be clear about the purpose of any change you plan to make
(26) Concentrate on a few processes that really count
(27) Plan a fluid, integrated change program
(28) Ask of every change, "How will this affect all those involved?"
(29) Try proposed changes on a small scale first
(30) If it takes complex reasoning to justify change, abandon it
(31) Use "critical path" analysis to help plan tasks
(32) Always get your "people policies" right when planning changes
(33) Use training as a deliberate "tool" to involve people in change
(34) Apologize and explain if people feel ill informed
(35) Involve everybody in the planning of at least one change project
(36) Give all teams some autonomy in setting their OWN TARGETS
(37) Commit any consultants to a clear brief and short timescale
(38) If you make promises about change, keep them!
(39) Imitate good sports coaches --- encourage people to progress
(40) Avoid being ruled by financial years --- they are purely arbitrary
(41) Aim to introduce one new idea every week
(42) Encourage subordinates to find new ideas for "quick-fix" changes!
(43) To make change easier to accept, plan to introduce it in "stages"
(44) Ensure that employee's views are given full consideration
(45) As circumstances change, adjust plans --- radically if necessary!
(46) Make sure that your action plan is properly presented
(47) Become proficient in any planning technique you decide to use
(48) Go over your "checklists" at least once a week, updating them
(49) Always check schedules with those affected to ensure practicality
(50) Look for big improvements from change projects
(51) Include the prospect of individual and team rewards and recognition in a change plan
(52) Never take subordinate's support of action plans for granted
(53) Avoid the temptation to "bribe" people to change
(54) Monitor morale closely, and ACT if it begins to deteriorate
(55) Avoid feeling sentimental over inevitable job losses
(56) Watch out if NO resistance is evident --- it may be hidden!
(57) Find allies who will help you to counter critics and conservatives
(58) Always be frank about the possible adverse effects of change
(59) Test your plans with experiments in every possible context
(60) Allow for variable factors when reviewing pilot plan results
(61) Analyze shortfalls in performance and find all the reasons for them
(62) Thank people for putting forward useful objections and criticisms!
(63) Remember that HONESTY is NOT the best policy --- it is the ONLY policy!
(64) Display CONCISE vision statements to REINFORCE the change message
(65) Make training for ALL the centerpiece of any change program
(66) Speak about "change plans" to as many subordinates INDIVIDUALLY as you can!
(67) Be hopeful, but utterly realistic, when promising benefits!
(68) Blame the message, not the messenger or the audience, for bad reactions
(69) Put "change agents" in place before launching a change program
(70) Make sure that those leading change support it thoroughly! (p46)
(71) Challenge any need for secrecy --- avoid keeping information secret unless it is essential to do so (p47)
(72) Remind employees that change is for everyone, not just a few
(73) Use your own commitment to change as an example for others
(74) Use regular progress meetings to highlight achievements
(75) Generate a "feel-good" factor by redecorating the place
(76) Err on the side of excess when celebrating a major success!
(77) Always attend if celebrations have been arranged
(78) Let teams decide how to share financial rewards
(79) Make employees feel their own roles are strategically important (p52)
(80) Treat people gently if morale is low during the change cycle ( 52-53)
(81) Take all resistance seriously, however far-fetched it seems, and deal with it effectively (p53)
(82) Countering arguments (p54)
(83) Be sure to investigate silence thoroughly --- it is rarely golden (p54)
(84) Persuade people that change will always mean opportunity (p55)
(85)
(86)
(87)
(88)
(89)
(90)
(91)
(92)
(93)
(94)
(95)
(96)
(97)
(98)
(99)
INDEX (p70-71)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (p72)
Go to: Change Issue at Work
Go to: Character Issue at Work
Go to: Leadership Issue at Work
Go to: Leadership Control Essay
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