Kotter & Schlesinger – Approaches to Change

Kotter and Schlesinger spent many years working with organisations on

change programmes and establishing a range of principles for managing
change, which still hold up today.

One of the big challenges facing any manager or organisation in delivering

change is how to overcome the resistance they find in people towards
what they are trying to do.

Well, here are some strategies which may help. It may be you need to use
more than one, but to try to deliver change without any idea of how to
manage resistance may well leave you floundering.

Education and Communication

Education and communication should help people understand the logic and
the need for change. A major drawback can be the inherent time delays
and logistics when a lot of people are involved. It also requires mutual
trust.

Participation and Involvement

The contention is that people will be more supportive of the changes if

they are involved in the formulation and design. Again it can be time
consuming; and if groups are asked to deliberate and make decisions
there is a risk that some decisions will be compromises leading to sub
optimisation.

Facilitation and Support

This can involve either training or counselling but there is no guarantee

that any resistance will be overcome.

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Negotiation and Agreement

Negotiation and agreement are normally linked to incentives and rewards.

Where the resistance stems from a perceived loss as a result of the
proposed change, this can be useful, particularly where the resisting
force is powerful. However, offering rewards every time changes in
behaviour are desired is likely to prove impractical.

Manipulation and Co-Optation

This encompasses covert attempts to influence people, for example by

the selective use of information and conscious structuring of events. Co-
optation involves 'buying-off' informal leaders by personal reward or
status. These methods are ethically questionable, and they may well cause
grievances to be stored for the future.

Explicit and Implicit Coercion

The use of threats can work in the short run but is unlikely to result in
long-term commitment.

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 Commonly used
Approach Advantages Disadvantages
when . . .
Once persuaded, Can be very time-
There is a lack of
Education and people will often consuming if many
1. information and
communication help implement the people are
analysis.
change. involved.
People who
The initiators do participate will be
Can be very time-
not have all the committed to
consuming if
Participation information they implementing
participators
2. and need to design the change, and any
design
involvement change, and others relevant information
inappropriate
have considerable they have will be
change.
power to resist. integrated into the
change plan.
People are No other approach Can be time-
Facilitation and resisting because works as well with consuming,
3.
support of adjustment adjustment expensive, and
problems. problems. still fail.
Some person or
Can be too
group with Sometimes it is a
expensive if it
Negotiation considerable power relatively easy way
4. alerts others to
and agreement to resist will to avoid major
negotiate for
clearly lose out in a resistance.
compliance.
change.
It can be a
Can lead to future
Other tactics will relatively quick and
Manipulation problems if
5. not work, or are inexpensive solution
and co-optation people feel
too expensive. to resistance
manipulated.
problems.
Speed is essential,
Can be risky if it
Explicit and and the change It is speedy and can
leaves people
6. implicit initiators possess overcome any kind
angry with the
coercion considerable of resistance.
initiators.
power.