Briefing Notes:

Summary of Key Factors for Successful and Unsuccessful Change

Implementing change in an organization is a lengthy and often difficult process. It requires collaboration between departments within the organization and persistence to drive the change initiative forward. This document outlines a number of factors that, taken together, impact the dynamics of change and ultimately help determine whether change efforts are sustained over time. These change initiatives within organizations are commonly referred to as organization development (OD). OD is an effort that is a) planned, b) organizationwide, and c) managed from the top to d) increase organization effectiveness and health through e) planned interventions in the organizations processes using behavioral-science knowledge (Beckhard, 1969). In a sense, OD is never ending because it is a process of constant striving to become a more healthy, productive and viable organization. In order for change to take hold, however, OD must include clear, measurable goals along the road of development. Why Organizational Development Efforts Faili

Unrealistic ExpectationsOD is not a panacea. When people believe that it is, they are assuming OD is a product when it is actually a process. OD is never completed. It is an ongoing process of examining the organization to look at the current environment and recycle energy into the creation of a more viable organization. Inadequate SupportTop-level support is essential. If the leader who initiated the OD project withdraws support or attention for any reason, the OD program is doomed. OD UnreadinessLike children who are not ready to learn to read, organizations exist that are not ready for OD. When members of an organization are lacking in communication skills, collaborative problem solving is highly unlikely. When persons who are deficient interpersonally are convened for problem identification, the processes that ensue often result in a worsening of the situation. Once an organization is ready for OD, almost any technique will work.

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Failure to Follow ThroughManagers have been known to say, Weve tried OD before, and it will not work here. If a consultant has employed techniques such as survey feedback, sociotechnical systems, management by objectives, transactional analysis or job enrichment, and has failed to follow through adequately, the organization is unlikely to try another OD effort. Ineffective Use of ConsultantsInternal and external consultants are essential. You need an internal person who understands subtleties, nuances and organizational pressures and an external consultant who has the objectivity and capacity to confront important issues. Effective OD is the result of linking these two perspectives. Management ResistanceOne of the major assumptions of OD is that individuals can become more self-directing. Consequently, first-line supervisors often resist OD because the increased autonomy of those they supervise threatens their authority. Effective OD must ultimately involve a major restructuring of supervision so that supervisors do not sabotage the effort. Size of OrganizationOD is difficult to implement in large organizations (typically 1,000 employees and up). The effects of unsuccessful attempts to introduce OD in large organizations are confusion, waste and uncertainty. New models to deal with large organizations must be postulated and tested. Unwillingness to Model BehaviorOD is frequently seen as help for some other department. When management is unwilling to help foster their own change, they sabotage efforts at developing other departments within the organization. Inadequate SkillsOD consultants are often deficient in essential skills to perform the difficult role required. Consequently, they must acknowledge the power they have to influence an organizations development and realize the values they are impressing on the organization. Immunity to ODSome organizations seem to be immune to OD. This is most common when an individuals goals develop in conflict with those of the organization. Typically, work in churches, schools, service clubs and other volunteer nonprofit organizations facilitates the development of strong moral beliefs about the human condition and the way that an organization should operate. If these beliefs grow beyond the capacity of the organization or directly conflict with it, OD may not be possible.

Mistakes Made in Change Initiativesii

Bottom-up ChangeThe top manager(s) need to be involved in change initiatives. Often, people within the organization may claim that the top person is too busy to attend a seminar, does not need it or could simply read about it. Unfortunately, without the top manager(s) on board, any change initiative can be destroyed.

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Creating Change OverloadIn highly rigid systems, wide-scale, dramatic change can be difficult. It is important to work continuously with the client to determine feasible steps, as opposed to sporadic, single interventions. Raising Expectations Beyond What is PossibleChange must happen over time. Plan for initiatives to take three four years to implement so as not to disappoint people when immediate change does not take place. Also, calling initiatives experiments opens the door for lowering the feeling of responsibility and explaining away failure. Inappropriate AttachmentThe outside consultant can develop the wrong type of relationship with the client. It may be one of dependence, or the consultant may bond only to a single individual or a group too low in the power structure to affect change. Becoming Trapped in One PartIt is important to avoid becoming trapped by one part of the organization. This can lead to divisions that split the organization. It can be effective to seek out the people who the client talks about most disparagingly. Changing Only a SubsystemThis can also create divisions within the organization because every system within an organization is partial to every other system. The best way to avoid this pitfall is to establish specific, measurable objectives at the start and to obtain agreement to them not only from the system assumed to be directly involved but also from adjacent systems. Inappropriate Use of Behavioral Versus Structural InterventionsOften OD is inappropriately aimed at behavioral change among parts of the organization. However, sometimes it is the structural constraints of the organization that cause certain behaviors. To avoid this error, the outside consultant must be in tune to the structural dynamics and must develop a wide range of conceptual tools that take them into account. Losing Professional DetachmentIt is important to maintain an emotional distance from the client. When the consultants feelings begin to depend on the clients success, the adviser is too close. Assuming a Change is NeededOften times, change is thrust upon an organization that does not need it. In this case, it is time for the outside consultant to walk away. Failing to Seek HelpThe long-standing problem of those in the helping professions is that they do not seek help themselves. It is important to arrange for consultations about the help being provided from people who are not involved, emotionally or professionally, with the client.

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Twelve Conditions for Failure in OD Effortsiii

A Continued Discrepancy Between Top Management Statements of Values and Styles and their Actual Managerial BehaviorTop management can talk about change, but people react to behavior. If there is a discrepancy between words and behavior, that often leads to limited trust of top management. The result is an organization of employees who are cautious, conservative and selfprotective. A Big Program of Activities Without Any Solid Base of Change GoalsOD is not a set of activities. For it to be effective, leaders must make a personal commitment to the systematic setting of goals and plans for achieving them and to providing responsible leadership in organization improvement. Confusion of Ends and MeansSome managers will endorse a program because of a personal learning experience from it; however, assuming that the personal development of key managers will result in organizational development is an error. The question, Training for what? must be answered in organizational terms. Short Time FrameworkDo not expect quick results from OD. Top managers are impatient and results oriented, but meaningful results from OD typically develop in three five years. Lack of Coordination Between a Number of Different Activities Aimed at Increasing Organizational EffectivenessSystematic efforts at change must be coordinated at the staff level to create synergy. Without this coordination, inefficiencies and competition between staff may result. Overdependence on Outside HelpConsultants and other external helpers cannot solve an organizations problems. A personal commitment to change from within an organization is critical. Overdependence on Inside SpecialistsFor effective change, the whole organization must be on board. This includes top management, other internal specialists and line management. A Large Gap Between the Change Effort at the Top of the Organization and Efforts in the Middle of the OrganizationIf top management engages in an effort to improve its functioning, operations and work, it must communicate and transfer these changes to the next layer of the organization. Without this transfer, there may be an increase in communications problems and social distance between the top group and the middle of the organization. Trying to Fit a Major Organization Change into an Old StructureTo meet changing client needs, it often becomes necessary to retire old ways of doing business within an organization. Confusing Good Relationships as an End with Good Relationships as a ConditionHealthy working relationships within an organization are good for organizational health, but they are wasted if not used to drive the organization toward clear goals with definite plans for achieving them.

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The Search for Cookbook SolutionsThere are no shortcuts to organizational health. It is an inherently slow process. Applying an Intervention or Strategy InappropriatelyThis is also a form of using cookbook solutions where what worked with one organization is mistakenly assumed to work with other organizations.

Ten Characteristics for Success in OD Effortsiv In addition to the 12 conditions for failure in OD efforts, Beckhard provides a brief list of conditions that are typically present in successful OD efforts.

There is pressure from the environment, internal or external, for change. Some strategic person or people are hurting. Some strategic people are willing to do a real diagnosis of the problem. There is leadership (consultant, key staff man, new line executive). There is collaborative problem identification between line and staff people. There is some willingness to take risks in trying new forms or relationships. There is a realistic, long-term time perspective. There is a willingness to face the data of the situation and to work with it on changing the situation. The system rewards people for the effort of changing and improvement, in addition to rewarding them for short-term results. There are tangible intermediate results.

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Endnotes
i

Pfeiffer, J.W. and J.E. Jones. A Current Assessment of OD: What It Is and Why It Often Fails. The 1976 Handbook for Group Facilitators. Pfeiffer and Jones, eds. La Jolla, Calif.: University Associates, 1976. When the handbook was published, Dr. J. William Pfeiffer, Ph.D., was the president of University Associates, La Jolla, Calif. His background is in adult education, internal-change agentry, Gestalt group work and organization development. He is now a Toronto-based economist and executive management consultant, writing extensively on the future of work in Canada. See http://www.roadkill-drjobs.com/ for more information. Dr. Pfeiffer has written extensively, including such titles as The 1993 Annual Developing Human Resources (1992) and Applied Strategic Planning: How to Develop a Plan That Really Works (1992). When the handbook was published, Dr. John E. Jones, Ph.D., was the vice president of University Associates, La Jolla, California. His background is in teaching and counseling, education and organization and communitydevelopment consulting.

ii

Reddin, W.J. Confessions of an Organizational Change Agent. Group and Organizational Studies, March 1977 (2) I, pp. 33 41. At the time of this publication, W.J. Reddin was president of International Publications Limited, Box 1022, Hamilton, Bermuda, and classified himself as an organizational change agent. He received his early education in the United Kingdom, his undergraduate education in Canada, and his graduate education in the United States, at Harvard and MIT. More recently, he has published, How to Make Your Management Style More Effective (1987) and The Output Oriented Organization (1990).

iii

Beckhard, R. Organization Development: Strategies and Models. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1969. Richard Beckhard was a long-time friend of the MIT Sloan Management Review and a member of the Sloan School of Management faculty for more than 20 years. For nearly 50 years Professor Beckhard helped organizations to function in a more humane and high-performing manner and to empower people to be agents of change. Professor Beckhard died in New York City on December 28, 1999, at the age of 81. Recent publications include The Community of the Future (2000), Agent of Change: My Life, My Practice (1997) and Changing the Essence: The Art of Creating and Leading Fundamental Change in Organizations (1992).

iv

Beckhard, R. Organization Development: Strategies and Models. Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1969.

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