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16 Learning from change

Introduction

What, then, can be learned from the process of introducing major organizational
changes? How can we ensure that we do learn from our experience? Throughout
this book the answers to these two questions have been consistent. Developing a
more open process for managing change will create the conditions for learning.
Planning, implementing and monitoring change more systematically will allow us
to consolidate that learning. Let me repeat an earlier point. This is not a prescrip-
tion for an ideal approach; rather, I would argue for pragmatism combined with
the capacity to learn rather than pragmatism driven by an ad hoc approach.

CASE
STUDY ABF Ltd

Let us return to the case study outlined in Chapter 11 (see page 178). The reader will recall
from the detail provided that there was considerable evidence of both managerial ineffec-
tiveness and the need for specific changes. Top management did not understand the causes

of this managerial ineffectiveness, nor how to tackle it. The managing director, who had
held the post for some years, adopted an autocratic management style. After an early period
of profit growth the company had stagnated, profits remaining stable despite growth in
sales. Consultants had been used to review systems and procedures and to help with the
introduction of techniques such as materials requirements planning (MRP) systems.
As we saw, the finance director had played a major role in the changes. Let us look
at what was learned from the changes, using his own assessment, made subsequently
(Keeley, 1988). He reviews the approach he had adopted with individual managers, link-
ing this to the specific changes made and to how he has used approaches such as those
discussed in this book to learn from the experience. For our purposes two examples will
suffice; many such assessments have been made.
Tony, the company accountant
Tony is the company accountant and reports directly to me. He is a qualified accountant
who joined the company late in 1986 and is an experienced man. He is very competent,
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