Client centered CM V2

Client Centered Change ManagementA learning approach to change management

15 June 2015MAC Consulting

“The manifest discourse will in the final analysis not be anything other than the repressive presence of what it does not say, and what is not said is a hollow that undermines from within all that is said.” (Foucault, 1969, 1979 in Apter 2014)

• Effective change management requires that the entire story is told, understood and acknowledged in the change agenda and change plan (Egan, 1994).

• Failing to appreciate and acknowledge the entire story will surely undermine even that which is known and acknowledged (Kilmann & Mitroff, 1977; Egan, 1994; Apter, 2014).

• Change management is therefore the art and science of inclusion and holistic appreciation.

Change management as organisational dialogue

The natural problem-management process (Egan, 1994)

• The client or client organisation becomes aware of a single or set of issues through their internal and external interaction. Such issues are manifestations of frustrated personal and / or organisational goals.

• A sense of urgency develops as the threat or irritation value of the issue or issues grow in magnitude or / and intensity.

• The client organisation starts looking for and implementing various remedies. If they are perceived to deliver the required results in the short or medium term the motivation to explore more options usually declines. If not then the urgency to find solutions grow as does the sporadic and often situational implementation of solutions.

• The growing cost of pursuing different and often ineffective solutions grows which in turn creates more discomfort.

• The problem becomes part of the organisational consciousness at some or all levels. This leads to more serious and purposeful seeking and implementation of solutions leading to even more cost and discomfort. It may even lead to panic and a growing lack of effectiveness and efficiency as the organisational rhythm of internal and external interaction further decays.

• Usually at this point an intellectual decision is taken at top management level to pursue a certain course of action leading to top down and power driven change (Egan, 1994; Apter, 2014).

• The client organisation often requests assistance from professionals or consultants at this point to assist them with the problem solving and change management process.

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The challenge is to avoid a type III error

• Type I error is made when the alternative hypothesis is accepted when the null is true

• Type II error is made when the null hypothesis is accepted when it is actually false thus rejecting the alternative hypothesis when it is really true.

• Type III error results from formulating the wrong hypotheses for testing thus exploring and attempting to solve the wrong problem, avoiding the actual root cause.

• Problem solving therefore starts with explorative questions, followed by effective problem formulation and effective root cause analysis.

• Senge raises the following warnings;- “…the primary threats to our survival, both of our organisations and of our societies, come

not from sudden events but from slow, gradual processes” (p.22)- “…we learn best from experience but we never directly experience the consequences of

many of our most important decisions” (p.23)

• An effective change consultant helps the client formulate the most appropriate questions so that the most holistic appreciation of the problem state may evolve, thus avoiding a type III error.

(Kilmann & Mitroff, 1977)

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The consulting / intervention process

1. Sensing problems

2. Defining the problems

3. Developing solutions

4. Implementing the solutions

5. Evaluating the outcomes

(Kilmann & Mitroff, 1977)

Egan’s skilled helper model: Framework for change management

• Stage I: Reviewing the current situation- The principle is to help the client organisation identify, explore, and clarify their issues,

concerns, problem situations, desires and unused opportunities.

• Stage II: Developing the preferred scenario- The principle is to help the client organisation identify and formulate what they want in

terms of their goals and objectives that are based on an understanding of their issues, challenges, problems situations and opportunities.

• Stage III: Developing the way forward- The principle is to help client organisation develop action strategies that is most likely to

support their goals and objectives. This may include stabilisation the organisation, preparing the organisation for change and only then launching the transformation.

• Stage IV: Getting things done right- The principle is to help clients learn along the way and then to act on what they learn. The

focus is therefore on helping the client organisation translate their strategies into goal-accomplishing action and not merely action for its own sake.

(Adapted from Egan, 1994)

Egan’s skilled helper model: Framework for change management

The principle is to help the client organisation identify, explore, and clarify their issues, concerns, problem situations, desires and unused opportunities.

The principle is to help the client organisation identify and formulate what they want in terms of their goals and objectives that are based on an understanding of their issues, challenges, problems situations and opportunities.

The principle is to help client organisation develop action strategies that is most likely to support their goals and objectives. This may include stabilisation the organisation, preparing the organisation for change and only then launching the transformation.

The principle is to help clients learn along the way and then to act on what they learn. The focus is therefore on helping the client organisation translate their strategies into goal-accomplishing action and not merely action for its own sake.

IV: Action orientation

Stage I: Understanding the current situation & identifying the levers for change

valued outcomesleading toAction

1. Story3. Leverage for change2. Blind Spots

I. Current Scenario II. Preferred Scenario III. Strategy as journey to success


1. Possibilities for preferred future3. Commitment to change2. Change Agenda 1. Possible strategies3. Change plan2. Best-fit strategies

Stage I: Understanding the current situation & identifying the levers for change


1. Story3. Leverage for change2. Blind Spots

I. Current Scenario


• The story is told through the use of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods including Root Cause Analysis.

• Thorough root cause analysis lays a solid foundation for balanced decision making and performance improvement (Rademeyer, Du Plessis, and Kepner, 2009).

• Qualitative methods includes internal and external individual and group interviews, written accounts such as diaries or any narrative information, participative observation and other observational narratives collected for the purpose of understanding the current scenario.

• Quantitative methods typically includes surveys, performance records, financial records, client satisfaction survey and data, absenteeism records, safety and quality records and audit reports. Any quantifiable data falls in this category.

• The story should be collected from all relevant stakeholders to ensure that blind spots are minimized (Kepner & Iikubo, 1996).

Stage II: Crafting the preferred scenario and developing commitment to change

1. Possibilities for preferred future3. Commitment to change2. Change Agenda

II. Preferred Scenario



• The responsibility for crafting the preferred scenario forms part of all personal and organisational change initiatives but is not always given the required attention.

• Even though top and senior management is usually included in this exercise all relevant stakeholders needs to be included. Such inclusion may be limited to how they will be impacted. The RACI provides guidance in this regard.

• Collaborative problem solving and decision making leads to better results because those responsible for making it work is more informed and better prepared for the change (Kepner & Iikubo, 1996).

• Commitment at all relevant layers are required to make the transformation sustainable.

Stage III: Establishing value adding change strategies and building the change plan

1. Possible strategies3. Change plan2. Best-fit strategies

III. Strategy as journey to success



• The brainstorming of all possible change strategies is firstly conducted at top and senior management level but should also be extended to other stakeholders required to implement the change.

• It is important to ensure best-fit before the strategies are migrated into the plan because this will support implementation and achievement of the desired performance gains (Rademeyer et al, 2009).

• Best-fit is promoted through robust problem identification, formulation and problem solving during Stage 1 (Kilmann & Mitroff, 1977; Egan, 1994; Rademeyer et al, 2009; Apter, 2014).

• The change plan is not static but a dynamic document which should be updated throughout the transformation process as new information becomes available (Egan, 1994).

Stage IV: Getting things done right

valued outcomesleading to…action


• Change is an inclusive process of transformation and dependent on the commitment of all key stakeholders throughout.

• Change is never a linear process but rather an iterative and messy one that requires continuous learning and adaptation to the plan throughout the change journey (Kilmann & Mitroff, 1977; Egan, 1994; Rademeyer et al, 2009; Apter, 2014).

• Change management therefore demands the continuous development, implementation, monitoring and adaptation of the change plan (Rademeyer et al, 2009).

• This process suggests that there is change within change throughout the process (Rademeyer et al, 2009).

• In order to achieve this the first three stages of the client-centered helping model to managing change are applied during the transformation process with the purpose of keeping the process on track and moving towards the actual goals and objectives of the overall change strategy and plan, therefore applying action research as an empirical process (Rademeyer et al , 2009).

• Failing to manage the transformation process through focused change management is likely to fall victim to the forces of entropy (Egan, 1994).

• At inception the change initiative is threatened by systemic inertia but later entropy threatens to derail the transformation. The focus should therefore remain on learning and …

Reference:

Apter, B. (2014). Foucauldian Iterative Learning Conversations--An Example of Organisational Change: Developing Conjoint-Work between EPS and Social Workers. Educational Psychology In Practice, 30(4), 331-346.

Egan, G. (1994). The Skilled Helper: A Problem Solving Approach to Helping. Belmont, California:Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.

Kepner, C.H., Iikubo, H. (1996). Managing Beyond the Ordinary: Using collaboration to solve problems, make decisions, and achieve extraordinary results. New York: AMACOM.

Kilmann, R. H., & Mitroff, I. I. (1977). A New Perspective on the Consulting/Intervention Process: Problem Defining Versus Problem Solving. Academy Of Management Proceedings (00650668), 148-152. doi:10.5465/AMBPP.1977.4977197

Rademeyer, A., du Plessis, Y., & Kepner, C. H. (2009). Human performance variation analysis: A process for human performance problem solving. South African Journal Of Human Resource Management, 7(1), 27-35. doi:10.4102/sajhrm.v7i1.174

Senge, P.M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The art and practice of the learning organisation. New York:Doubleday Currency.

Client centered CM V2

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