Page 239 - Managing Change in Organizations

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Chapter 12 ■ Diagnosing change
Thus, social workers label families as pathological in order to get them into
funded programmes of family support. Family members accept the label and
behave in ways confirming the label. Managers assume that behaviour illustrates
‘resistance to change’ but they may have misread its cause. The anger they
observe may be evidence of people really trying to embrace a new way of work-
ing. Coaching is what they need, not coercing.
Smale argues that these patterns can be more effectively handled if change
diagnosis and management (my summary, not his) is characterized by other cen-
tredness and sociability. The former depends on active listening, empathy and
the urge to see others’ points of view. The second is about collaboration and
links to the Goffee and Jones (1998) model of culture. Just as change is a
process, so is change diagnosis. And for diagnosis to be effective it must be
credible. In turn, then, we need to provide processes to challenge ideas, chal-
lenge the data and listen.
Creating authenticity in diagnosis requires:
■ continuous and transparent process in diagnosis;
■ bringing out the ‘undiscussable’;
■ the management of contention and conflict;
■ building trust and respect;
■ creating a sense of urgency;
■ engagement and alignment;
■ learning to deal with ‘breakdowns’ or critical incidents.
Ultimately, then, effective diagnosis depends on meaningful dialogue rather than
the management of ‘impressions’ and the acceptance of counterproductive
behaviour.
At a greater level of detail the following might be taken as a summary of some
of the practical ideas we have developed here and used as a checklist.

Insightful organizational diagnosis

■ Authentic data.
■ Shared meaning.
■ Informed choice.
Effective change architecture

■ Governance.
■ Leverage.
■ Connectivity.
■ Scaleability.
■ Management of expectations.
■ Communication.

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