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The Need For Change and How to Manage It

A Presentation to the Canadian Society of Club Managers’ Western Regional Seminar,

April 7, 2013

By Ray WilliamsPresident, Ray Williams Associates

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Ray Williams AssociatesRay Williams, Ph.D.,MCC,CMC

Leadership Training, Executive Coaching, Speaking

#404-999 Canada Place, Vancouver, V6C 3E2604-641-1342; 604-259-1564Website: http://raywilliams.caEmail: ray@raywillliamsassociates.com

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A Tale of Two Leaders

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The Situation

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The Conditions

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Question: If You Were The Team Leader In One Of Those Camps, How Would You Help Internees Adapt To The Sudden Change In

Their Lives?

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Making Changes Organizationally and Personally:

What Can These Two Video Clips Tell You?

8Making Change: Organizational and

Personal -1

9Making Change Organizational and Personal-3

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WHAT IS THE TRACK RECORD ON CHANGE EFFORTS?

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Most Change Efforts Fail

Study by McKinsey & Company (2006) cites 70%

Studies by psychologists Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey cite 70-80%

David Rock and Jeffrey Schwartz research on how brain activity sabotages change efforts-up to

90%

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WHY DO MOST CHANGE EFFORTS BOTH IN

ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS FAIL?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

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Reasons Why Organizational Changes Fail-Research

Fear of loss—jobs, status, rewards

Change is mandated—no involvement of others who have to implement change

Lack of trust in leaders

LACK OF UNDERSTANDING ABOUT HOW OUR BRAINS WORK!

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Communicating Change

Communicating change clearly is critical –the importance of

communication is what you get back not what you send out

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Communicating Change

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Brain Science Tells Us Much About The Motivation To Change

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Change and Motivation: Daniel Pink

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What Do We Know About The Brain That We Can Apply To Making Change

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The brain has an overarching organizing system to minimize danger/threat (an away response) and maximize reward (a toward response)

Your brain’s threat response center (limbic system) is unconsciously and easily aroused

The threat/away response is stronger, faster and longer lasting than the toward/reward response

What Do We Know About The Brain That We Can Apply To Change-1

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The threat/away response reduces cognitive functions; and makes you more defensive and reactive

Activating the reward/toward system stimulates the parts of the brain associated with positive emotions such as compassion, kindness, cooperation

What Do We Know About The Brain That We Can Apply To Change-2

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The Brain’s Threat Response Can Compromise Cognitive Functions

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Status is a prime driver of behavior, and even the smallest increase in status activates the reward/toward center of the brain

In contrast, even the smallest decrease in status activates the threat/away from center of the brain

People will spend a lot of time and energy protecting their status

SCARF: Status-1

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SCARF: Status-2

When competition for status is encouraged, positive relationships decline

You can trick yourself into a status reward by competing against yourself

Leaders reduce status threats in others by lowering their status through sharing own humanity and mistakes (humility) and by focusing on positive feedback not criticism

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SCARF: Certainty and Autonomy Autonomy and the feeling of control and certainty, or the need to predict your future, are primary rewards and the absence of them are threats

Reappraisal (acceptance + reframing) is a powerful strategy to prevent threat based emotional reactionsLeaders can assist people faced with change by providing choices, giving a clear picture of the future and giving autonomy

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SCARF: Relatedness

Safe and trusting connections are necessary for collaboration

People are quickly classified as friend or foe with foe as the default system in the absence of positive cues

Leaders need to make personal connections with employees before trying to make professional changes

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SCARF: Fairness

A sense of fairness can be primary reward and unfairness a threat

Being open and transparent in dealing with people triggers fairness/reward response

To accept an unfair situation, you need to go through a reappraisal process (acceptance+ reframing)

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Managing Change-1

Involve employees in your change vision and plans to reduce threat response

Consider your actions in terms of whether they have potential to increase threat (away) response or increase reward (toward) response

Articulate how changes will impact each person personally

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Managing Change-2

Generate short term wins and celebrate those wins

Focus changes that are linked to the kind of organizational culture (long term) you want, not just short term quick fixes (systems, procedures)

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Managing Change-3

Make an emotional case for change, and do not rely solely on logic/rationality

Example: My case for the Spartan army

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Managing Change-3

Make an emotional case for change, and do not rely solely on logic/rationality

Example: My case for the Spartan army

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Managing Change-3Make an emotional case for change, and do not rely solely on logic/rationality

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Question: If You Were The Team Leader In One Of Those Camps, How Would You Help Internees Adapt To The Sudden Change In

Their Lives?

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One Leader’s Approach To Change

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One Leader’s Approach To Change

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Questions?

Comments?