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18 Strategic convergence: a new model

for organization change

Introduction

This chapter introduces a new model for strategic change. The model seeks to
develop the concept of change architecture into a practical model for change
management. In particular, the model starts from the assumption that any seri-
ous model of change must take account of the reality of multiple and concurrent
change.
The outline model here takes as a starting point the idea that the more ambi-
tious the change the more likely it is to be successful so long as a robust change
architecture is in place. Two immediate qualifications are needed. First, we
assume that change proposals with insufficient ambition fail before they start
because they do not meet the challenges faced by the organization. Second, we
accept as a general point that it is possible to propose changes which are overly
ambitious and which fail in consequence. As a general rule our position is that
changes more often fail because senior managers have not willed the means to
success. However, we do need to provide for the possibility that the proposed
changes were not feasible. We will see that such a judgement is in practice often
quite controversial, not least because if I suggest a particular change is not feasi-

ble, is that because I wish to resist that change?
In reality, change models have tended to duck these issues focusing mostly on
leader behaviour and the level of stakeholder engagement (both important
issues) devoting little or no attention to either the inherent quality of the deci-
sions, underpinning assumptions or intended means of implementation as artic-
ulated in change plans, nor to the level of ambition involved. Given the
possibility of controversy it appears that generating an adequate change model
will require us to be able to assess both the decisions and the level of ambition
independently of stakeholder views.Unless we do so we cannot triangulate stake-
holder views.
Yet managers find themselves facing the need to handle complex and challeng-
ing changes often imposed on them from either a higher level in a large interna-
tional organization, or as a consequence of political choice and new legislation in
the public service. In these situations it is just not enough to argue that leadership,
team building, communication and involvement of colleagues provides a sufficient

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