Change Management
Dr. John Persico Jr.
612-310-3803

Agenda: Change Management
 Learning Objectives
 Introduction of Participants
 Overview of Change
 The Pace of Change
 Organizational Response to Change
 Principles of Managing Change
 The Change Process
 People Respond Differently to Change
 Reasons for Change Failure
Consequences of these reasons
 Personal Change Experience

Agenda, Cont.
• Transitions
• Stages of Change
• Lewin’s Change Model
• Activities Contributing to Effective Change
Management
• Change Model
• Stages of Change Assessment
• Kotter’s Eight Stage Process of Creating Major
Change
• Creating a Vision for Change
• Communicating the Vision

Agenda, Cont.
• Empowering Others to Act on the Vision
• Change Case Study
• Concluding Thoughts

Learning Objectives
• At the conclusion of this session, participants will
be able to:
1. Describe the nature of change in today’s world.
2. Identify the process of change in an
organization.
3. List the stages of change through which
individuals progress.
4. Differentiate between change and transition for
individuals.

Learning Objectives, Cont.
5. State the leader’s role in implementing change.
6. Analyze a case study of an organization
implementing evidence-based practices.
7. Evaluate the current stage of change for both
the agency and the participant.
8. Meet with a peer mentor to discuss new
approaches to handling change to evidence-based
practices.
Introduction of Participants

Opening Change Activity
Opening Activity
Introduce Activity:
Once everyone is relocated, the following questions are
discussed:
•What were your reactions to being required to change
seats? (e.g., positive, since I didn’t like that seat
anyway, negative because I had to move from my
comfort zone or neutral, didn’t really care)
•How did the arbitrary order make you feel? (angry,
relieved, confused, etc.)

Activity Discussion Questions
• How did you respond? (moved as close as possible
to my current seat, resistant to moving, etc.)
• What would have made the demand easier to comply
with? (If told a reason for the change, If allowed to
have input, If asked rather than ordered)

Intro to Change
“Self-assessment can motivate
change. Fear of self-knowledge
can prevent it.”
—Walter Turnow

Overview of Change
It has never been more true that today and
tomorrow will be a time of constant and rapid
change. Managers and leaders need the skills
to help their people and organizations navigate
the rocky and chaotic shoals of change.
Without the proper tools and understanding of
how to lead change, you will be unable to
prevent your organizations from being
destroyed on the sharp edges of ambiguity and
chaos.

Personal Reactions to Change
-Group Exercise
Individuals will brainstorm reactions to
the question: What words do you first
think of when you hear the word
“Change.”

Virtues vs. Vices - Discussion
We will look at such positive aspects of
change as: innovation, risk-taking,
creativity, diversity, openness to new
ideas, strategic thinking and risk taking.
We will explore the nature of
entrepreneurism. The negative side of
change will also be explored as we
examine the harmful effects that change
can have on people and their workplace.

The Pace of Change
Discrete Steps:
•Specific actions that address a particular problem or
need.
•Relatively small and short-term with an end date.
Continual Steps:
•Do not carve out dramatic, widely spaced steps, but
rather continual small shuffles.
•There is no end date, but committed to learning
forever.

Pace of Change, Cont.
Technological Changes
•Number of years until mass use:
•Electricity -46
•Telephone -35
•Television -26
•Personal Computer -16
•Mobile Phone -13
•The Web -7

Labor Changes
· During the early 1900’s, 85% of our workers were in
agriculture. Now agriculture involves less than 3%
of the workforce
· In 1950, 73% of U.S. employees worked in
production or manufacturing. Now less than 15% do
· The Department of Labor estimates that by the year
2000 at least 44% of all workers will be in data
services – for example, gathering, processing,
retrieving, or analyzing information

Organizational Response to
Change
Time needed for Different Personalities to change:
•Innovators and Early Adaptors – Short time to change
and join the organization.
•Intellectuals – need more time to process. Will
eventually come along.
•Late adaptors – Need more time to change.
•Traditionalists/Diehards – Will hold out to the end
until they have to change.

Positional Response to Change
Top Management
•Isolated at the top and may
underestimate the impact of change.
•Avoid communication in fear they do
not have the answers.
•Depend on Middle-Managers to make
change happen.

PRC, Cont.
Middle Management
•Squeeze between Top Management and
Workers.
•Feel pressure to make change happen.
•Often feel deserted, blamed or
misunderstood when there is resistance to
change.

PRC, Cont.
Workers
•Often feel attacked that they are not
doing a good job when changes are
made.
•Many respond with anger, frustration,
and confusion.
•Become afraid to take risks or be
innovative.

Principles of Managing Change
• Major change is an untidy process
• Vision for changes comes from different parts of an organization
• Changes must be championed
• Leaders must put tension into the organization
• Beware: change is costly
• The location of power is key
• Change in one area affects other areas
• Stress must be managed
• Avoid “death by 1000 cuts”
• Indoctrinate and train all those involved
• Leaders must retain trust
• Opinion leaders need to be identified and led toward a deep
consensus about ends and means
• Positive change must be rewarded
• Leaders must find ways to listen
• Heroes have to found and praised

The Change Process

Reasons for Change Failure
· Allowing too much complacency
· Failing to create a sufficiently powerful guiding
coalition
· Underestimating the power of vision
· Under-communicating the vision by a factor of 10
· Permitting obstacles to block the new vision
· Failing to create short-term wins
· Declaring victory too soon
· Neglecting to anchor changes firmly in the corporate
culture

Consequences of these
Reasons
· New strategies aren’t implemented well
· Acquisitions don’t achieve expected
synergies
· Reengineering takes too long and costs too
much
· Downsizing doesn’t get costs under control
· Quality programs don’t deliver hoped-for
results

Personal Change Experience
Recall an experience in your life when you
went through a personal change. This may be a
major or minor life or career change, but should
be something you are willing to share with
others. Make a few notes about the change.

What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make and end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from.
-T. S. Eliot
“Little Gidding,” from Four Quartets

The Transition Process
• Begin with the Ending
• The Neutral Zone
• Finish with a New Beginning

Stages of Change
• Precontemplation
• Contemplation
• Preparation
• Action
• Maintenance

Lewin’s Change Model
Unfreezing
Moving
Refreezing

Activities Contributing to
Effective Change Management

Change Model
So What?
What concerns me the
most about these
changes?
What opportunities are
possible?
Now What?
What steps will I take
to influence this
change?
What support do I
need?
What?
What is changing?
What is staying the
same?
What questions do I
still have?

Stages of Change Assessment
On this form, please note which stage of
change you believe you, your staff, and the
district as a whole are currently experiencing.
Check only one stage of change for each of
yourself, your staff and the agency. Do not put
your name on the form.

Kotter’s Eight Stage Process
Stage 1 – Establish a Sense of Urgency
Stage 2 – Creating the Guiding Coalition
Stage 3 – Developing a Vision Strategy
Stage 4 – Communicating the Change Vision
Stage 5 – Empowering Broad-Based Action
Stage 6 – Generating Short-Term Wins
Stage 7 – Consolidating Gains and Producing More
Change
Stage 8 – Anchoring New Approaches in the Culture

Exercise and Reflection
Using a 1-5 scale have participants take this
time to grade themselves as a leader on each of
the above 8 steps when they undergo a change
process or how they are doing during a current
change process: (Discuss in small groups ways
that you could improve your change processes)

Change Bingo!!!
You have up to seven minutes to fill in the Bingo card
below with the names of individuals in this session that
have experienced one or more of the changes below.
The first person to get a “BINGO” (horizontal, vertical,
diagonal with different names) will win a prize. If no
one gets a BINGO, the person with the most different
names filled in the boxes will win.

Creating and Communicating a
Vision for Change
• Repeat and repeat again
• Use metaphors, analogies, and examples
• Walk the talk
• Use different communication vehicles
• Explicitly address seeming inconsistencies

Empowering Others to Act
• Make structures support the change
• Provide needed training
• Align personnel and information systems
with the change
• Confront those who undercut change

Managing Change: Action Plan
• Create a Vision for Change
• Communicate the Vision
• Empower Others to Act on the Vision
In small groups fill out the worksheet with your
organization or department in mind.

Change Case Study
• Analyze the following case study and use
what you have learned so far in this
workshop to effectively solve the problems
present in this scenario
• Answer the six discussion questions
following the case study

Concluding Thoughts
• You can learn ways to master your reaction to
change.
• The more used to change you become, the easier it is
to adapt to the next change.
• Practice good communication skills during times of
change. Be a careful listener. Avoid rumors. Address
problems when they come up.
• Take care of yourself. Spend time with friends and
family doing the things you enjoy. Don’t let it take
over your life.
• Try to focus on the things you can control.