Re: Resistance to Change LO705

DwBuff@aol.com
Thu, 6 Apr 1995 23:18:11 -0400

I presume that the discussion concerning resistance to change pertains to
people "lower in the organization" receiving change from someone higher in
the organization. Some thoughts and questions.

Are the organizational values clear? Can you ask anyone what the WRITTEN
values are and get similar interpretations from every single level of
person with whom you speak? Are the values lived and breathed daily by
all managers (especially the exec's) in the organization? Values form a
basis for communicating and understanding the underpinnings of daily and
long-term actions. Merely written will not make it. If for instance, a
company has a WRITTEN value about strong customer focus with no attention
paid to customer focus by the high level management, how could anyone
trust the exec's? When these same folk come along to make ME change with
the fadish vision (I know they won't live it) or change management
statement, how can I trust them?
They won't even live their values.

Let's say that values are clear, strong, and are lived by management at
all levels. How about a clearly articulated mission with purpose. We
make stuff (mission) that makes it easier for people to (purpose). Do the
people in the organization know what they are supposed to be doing/making
and what PURPOSE IT SERVES for the person who receives the output? Fuzzy
organization mission (what we do daily) and purpose (how does what I do
count as far as the recipient is concerned) in life makes for a meandering
life. Now imagine that management or better yet, the facilitator
(management is too busy), comes along and announces change. They are
announcing change to something that people already do not understand.
Clarity, clarity, clarity.

One test I use for clear mission and purpose of the mission is to pass
them by people who are not familiar with the group to whom the mission and
purpose pertain. If that "stranger" can understand the mission and
purpose, it may be clear. Sometimes though, words need some operational
definition to anchor them for the organization. I ask management as part
of their review, to have the "lower level" people help create the
descriptors that anchor the mission and purpose. These words become an
active (not filed away) part of the mission and purpose. Once this is
done. Then they need to go back to the values. Are there any conflicts
between the stated values, mission, and purpose? Fix the conflicts.

Last is the vision, strategy, and plans. Too often these are "announced"
with the expectation of a few questions and acceptance. Have we ever
considered that some of the worst words used in the last ten years are
"buy-in"? I maintain there is no such thing as buy-in. Poeple must learn
what the change means to them, their job, their ability to assist in
generating the future. Without some dialogue and participation, the
announcement is mere hollow words from management.

People need to "LEARN-IN" and I mean this in the sense of learning by doing,
not learning by sitting and listening. We too often expect to hold a
meeting, make a writeup in the company newspaper about the new vision or
major change, etc. without the blood, sweat and tears which are called for to
generate any future. I've seen resistance to change melt in 12 to 18 months.
And, some of the biggest resistors became some of the biggest supporters.
What changed? Their KNOWLEDGE of what the change meant since they had a
chance to reluctantly participate in starting the change and LEARNED that
their inference of what the words meant was much different than the following
actions undertaken by management.

The above have been some of the systems problems which I keep trying to
coach managers to avoid. Having clear and lived values, mission (with
critical words defined), purpose, vision, strategy, and then participation
in change seem to have alleviated quite a bit of resistance. Perhaps
these solutions are a fit only for my organization. My experience is
limited to about 50 different groups (50 missions, purposes, strategies,
actions) under a corporate set of values and vision statements. Clarity,
time for LEARN-IN, and MANAGMENT WORKING on the change daily seems to
overcome lots of resistance problems at lower levels.

Anyone else experienced lack of clarity or benign neglect by management
causing some of the resistance to change? If so, what did you do?

Dave Buffenbarger
dwbuff@aol.com

Did you know? ME literally turned upside down becomes WE.