Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
REV
1/21/09
THE STAGES
OF
These stages of contracting, data gathering, action, evaluation, and disengagement are
not discrete. They overlap. They are iterative. They often must be orchestrated
simultaneously. Each can trigger the need for another. Data-gathering, intervention,
evaluation, and disengagement can all lead to re-contracting. Any stage can lead to any
other stage. The order presented is generic as if all things were equal, which they never
are in human systems.
1. CONTRACTING
People in any of several different roles undertake change management efforts. This
includes the person(s) with direct decision-making authority over a system or part of a
system as well as someone working or living within a system without direct decisionmaking authority. Someone from outside a system called in for that purpose could
undertake change management efforts. Regardless of the role they may be in, we will call
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those who undertake change projects change agents or change leaders. Again,
regardless of the role, change leaders must contract for change with the other members of
the system.
Contracting is the process of coming to agreement with those person or persons who are
key to the success of a change project. If the change agent is the person in decisionmaking authority, the agent must contract for change with those who live and work under
that authority. If the change agent works or lives within the system without decisionmaking authority, that person must contract first with the person in authority for the desired
change. Then, together, they can contract with the other key people in the system. In the
same vein, a person from outside the system must first contract with the owner of the
system, then, with the owner, contract with the other key persons. In the case of peer
reviewers, contracting usually occurs with the director of the museum and/or the head of
the governing authority before the on-site review takes place.
When organization-wide change is desired or when a local change will have
organizationwide impact, the change contract is best made at the highest level of
management. Contracting at this level leverages the greatest accountabilityrewards and
penaltiesfor the desired change. Change occurs most efficiently from the point in the
system that will have the greatest impact for the least effort.
Effective change contracts specify at least three things:
a. Change goals that are clear, internally consistent, and that have a systemic and human
values orientation. The most effective change goals are fully consonant with the well
being of the system as a whole and its members.
b. The roles of project leader (the client) and process facilitator (consultant). That project
leader is the person who has primary responsibility for the system that is the target of
the change goals is important. It is just as important that the project understand that his
or her is just thatto leadwith the support of the process facilitator. The process
facilitator (consultant) must have the skills needed to support the leader in effective use
of the five stages and seven disciplines of the Meta-Model.
c. Collaborative, inclusive, consensus-building change processes. These processes
should be consonant with the human values orientation of the change goals and create
levels committed buy-in necessary to successful projects.
A critical element in the success of change management contracts is the depth of
relationship between the project leader and process facilitator that is generated in their
formulation. Relationships of mutual high equity built upon straight talk, curiosity, and
consensus decision-making create profound learning from the sometimes deeply personal
and emotional deliberations that are a part of the change process.
2. DATA GATHERING
Once the initial contract has been established, the prudent change agent insists on a
data-gathering stage. This process serves several purposes:
a. It provides needed information for the effective planning of further Change Actions.
b. It galvanizes organizational energy in preparation for something happening.
c. It provides an opportunity for some initial empowerment coaching of those from whom
data is gathered.
Data is should be gathered about the following:
a. Whats working in the targeted system?
b. What needs improvement within the system?
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you learn about managing change this weekend?). System-wide evaluations might be
done at the end of a change project and periodic intervals after that to see how much
staying power some systemic change might have. It is a good idea to have evaluative
feedback processes built into a systems ongoing routine to monitor the specific and
general wellbeing of that system.
5. DISENGAGEMENT
Little discussed in the change management literature is the process of completing or
ending a change project. A typical disengagement process for the participants in the
change project might include a closing evaluation session, statements of learnings
gleaned from the project, and celebration of whatever success was achieved.
In addition, the change leaderstask leader(s) and process facilitator(s) should get
together to formally agree that the project is completed or otherwise at an end. Additional
and more personal feedback might be shared in this meeting about what worked well,
what worked less well, and what might be done differently in a future project. Some
celebration would certainly be in order.
Appropriate closure and disengagement allow the system and the people in it to learn
from their experience in the project and to let go of what has been completed to move
effectively on to whatever is next.
THE DISCIPLINES
OF
MANAGING CHANGE
IN
HUMAN SYSTEMS
On behalf of creating effectiveness within each of the prescribed stages of change, the
following seven disciplines are offered. The disciplines directly support the notion of the
empowerability of human systems and the people that live and work within them.
Accordingly, they also support the use of collaborative strategies and tactics aimed at
open communication, and consensual decision-making.
1. USE OF SELF
The primary tool that anyone wishing to manage change in a human system uses is the
configuration of intellectual, emotional, and physical energies that that particular person
brings to the situation. That includes her personality, her various abilities (particularly her
ability to learn), and idiosyncrasies. Most of us have only begun to recognize and develop
full command of ourselves. Most of us respond to many situations automatically. These
automatic or habitual responses are the result of over-learning. Over-learning is the
extrapolation of an appropriate learning from past experiences and applying it too broadly
to every other set of similar situations. Over-learning gives us a shotgun approach to life
where the impact of many of our intentions fall far from our intended results.
The way we define parts of ourselves as OK and parts as not OK is another hindrance to
effective use of self. Too often we deny the large portions of ourselves that we define as
not OK. We want to see ourselves as male, not female or female, not male. We want to
see ourselves as nice, never as mean. In this manner, we deprive ourselves of the
inherent flexibility that comes with the multiple aspects and attitudes that make up our
fundamental integrity. We often judge ourselves too harshly.
In the processes of effective change management we need all the personal flexibility we
can muster. How we use ourselves in one situation with one person is not likely to be very
effective in another, though similar situation or person. A part of that flexibility is the ability
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to notice when we might be mistaking our assumptions for real data. This is a pervasive
pitfall in the world and in managing change in human systems.
Effective use of self calls for learning how to be aware of and direct our own thoughts, our
emotions, and our behavior. As we move toward mastery, we will be more and more able
to behave in such a manner that the systems within which we wish to manage change will
respond in ways consonant with our goals and intention.
2. SYSTEMS ORIENTATION
A fairly pervasive approach to change defines a goal, then sets out in as straight a tactical
line as possible to get there. Such an approach tries to ignore or run-over any intervening
or obstructing variables like the fact that several people dont want the goal to be reached
or dont appreciate the tactics being used. A systems orientation to change management
looks at human systems holistically. It understands that any change within a system will
reverberate throughout the entire system and impact even seemingly unrelated parts of
the system.
Using a systems orientation we
a. Understand that systems are comprised of constellations of forces that must be aligned
for efficient and successful change projects.
b. Widen our perspective from our immediate goal to one that considers the entire system.
c. Orchestrate several coordinated change actions simultaneously.
d. Develop feedback loops sufficient to staying in touch with the impacts of our change
strategies and their specific actions.
Here are some things to think about to help you think systemically:
a. Universal Connectedness: everything is connected to everything elsethings,
processes, thoughts, feelings, and actions. There is nothing happening that isnt
connected to everything else.
b. Mutual Responsibility: for things to be the way they are everything must be the way it is;
therefore, responsibility is always mutual. Those who see themselves as doing
nothing are contributing to the way things are by doing nothing just as much as what
everybody else is doing.
c. Sufficient Sound and Current Data: needed to determine the boundaries of the system
that contains both the problem and the solution. Look to a larger system definition
when problems seem intractable.
d. Leverage Points: that accessible point in the system that will create the greatest impact
toward the desired change with the least effort or pain. The most important leverage
point is the person whose system it is. Build a high equity relationship with that person
to contribute to their success. If the system is yours build a support system you can
count on to help you create success.
e. A Powerful Reframe: a systemic perspective takes away the too popular notion of
single-point fault and blame allowing an easier transition to the infinite perspective. For
example, pain reframed from a systemic perspective is a signal for healing rather a
trigger for anger and fear.
f. A Function of Consciousness: We are often consciousness of only a very limited part of
ourselves and a very limited part of all that is going on around us. An effective
systemic-orientation calls for being present to a much larger portion of ourselves and
whatever is going on around us. Only then will we begin to perceive systemic
connectedness.
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the success of all. Accordingly, our definition of empowerment is supporting self and
others to self-discover their ability to experience choice about how they respond to their
environment on behalf of increasing the well being of themselves and their environment.
8. SUPPORT SYSTEMS
The ability to develop support systems is crucial to effective change management for two
reasons. First, systemic planned change will occur when the support for that change
reaches critical mass among the members of that system. The success of your planned
change efforts depends on our ability to develop empowering partnerships across a full
range of differences using the infinite perspective of power.
Second, applying eight disciplines to five stages of change management is a daunting
task. Those who choose to take on this task must develop strong support systems.
Change in human systems is never created alone. Support systems are required. An initial
support system might be one or two confidants. This small informal group might evolve
into a larger group willing to take direct action and contribute to the critical mass that is
crucial to success. W cannot manage systemic change alone. Develop support systems to
help you strategize and operationalize your change strategy and to support you in using
yourself effectively.
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Appendix
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