Training within my corporate environment often applies a primarily behaviorist approach that focuses on learning to complete specific tasks based on prescribed cues that are learned out of context of the actual job. This approach impedes the development of adaptive thinking skills so necessary to address ever-changing business needs. A change must be made to including social constructivist approaches to learning in which learning is placed within the context of the actual job, or a close approximation, and that include opportunities to work and learn as a team, pausing to reflect on the knowledge building process in service to becoming skilled at adaptive learning. In this way employees will be better prepared and the organization will reap benefits including better customer interactions, increased revenues, and overall improved performance.
The change from a behaviorist approach for employee learning to including more social constructivist methods within a corporate environment is a significant one involving stakeholders at all levels. It will take actions that go beyond the point of being a manager of change to being a leader of change. As we have discussed in class there is an emotional side to leadership that is needed to carry the passion and vision forward in the organization for successful change to take place. The key tasks involved in managing the change process are also necessary to provide supportive structure, but without the emotional side that is conveyed by the leader(s) of change it is unlikely that change will take hold and prevail.
In the case of the change that I am advocating in my organization one of the most important actions I can take will be to bring together representatives from each of the key stakeholder groups to gain agreement of the value of the change. This will include business leaders, learning and development team members, knowledge workers, and potentially customers. The goal of bringing this diverse group together is to begin to share the vision and value of the change in order to identify and gain the support of opinion leaders across the organization who will be a part of communicating the change effort. As the concept of the diffusion of innovations suggests, opinion leaders have a great deal of influence during the evaluation stage of an adoption process (Diffusion of innovations, 2009).
Another goal of bringing the diverse group of individuals together to begin building knowledge of the proposed change, and gain agreement of the value, is to avoid any of the “blind spots” that can occur when either a single individual, or overly homogenous group are solely responsible for implementing a change. As Surowiecki (2005) points out in The Wisdom of Crowds, “relying on a crowd of decision makers improves (although it does not guarantee) your chances of reaching a good decision” (p. 278). Information sharing in an organization is often “top down” and there is a risk of a cascade taking place which, as described by Surowiecki, can occur when a decision is pushed by a few influential individuals causing others to almost blindly follow a new innovation or trend. The real risk is that the original decision may not be correct. By bringing together an informed group of diverse individuals this risk can be avoided (Surowiecki, 2005).
Prior to bringing the stakeholder group together significant action must take place by way of planning and preparation for communicating the desired change. This would include studying the problems that a behaviorist approach to employee learning creates, collecting examples of how these problems impact the business, and researching how incorporating social constructivist approaches address these problems. Once this information is collected initial informal meetings should take place with leadership and other stakeholders to gain an understanding of the forces that exist in support of, and against, any potential change recommendation. Out of these initial meetings a project charter can be drafted that would include a clear vision of the from/to state desired through the change and the value of the change on an individual and corporate level, including the potential return on investment in the change. As I have learned from my Action Research project, both from reviewing the literature and my own research, if others do not see the value of a change for themselves personally they will be unlikely to voluntarily engage in any action to support the change.
Once the value of the change has been established and agreement has been gained of this value by stakeholders, a clear plan for implementation must be followed. This plan should include a detailed time line and regular communication to all those affected of progress and key details of the change. Also, learning sessions should be planned that allow participants to engage hands-on with any new technology and processes. Feedback processes should be established for employees to share their thoughts and opinions of the change so as to feel included as a part of the process. It is essential that all those affected feel that their voices are not only heard, but that they are acknowledge and addressed. In the book Leadership Ensemble, Seifter and Economy (2001) identify the value of empowering all individuals in an organization, and giving them a voice to influence their reality, as essential to creating an effective organization.
In addition to the themes of change management included above, another key concept to embrace is to approach change as a process rather than an event (Goman, 2000). By having a flexible plan for ongoing support of the change process through communication and engagement activities there is less of a chance that the change will be seen as temporal and lose traction and potentially fail. This concept is demonstrated through actions such as building trust by having an honest, thoughtful communication plan that includes opportunities for feedback and the input of those impacted, and by creating space for individuals to take positions of leadership within the change. Creating these opportunities for leaders to emerge echoes the theory of success put forth by Gladwell (2008) in Outliers as he repeatedly ties success back to the opportunities afforded to individuals that lead to bigger and bigger successes in a cumulative fashion. In this same way, creating the opportunity for leaders to develop and act within the change structure will have the cumulative effect of increasing personal growth and in turn positively leading the change as champions within the organization.
My personal vision for change management has been shaped largely by my action research project and the reading and dialogue included within the course: EDC 668: Managing Learning Technology for Change. I believe that change is a part of any growing system – whether that be an individual, group, or organization. For continued growth there must be change, and it is how we choose to engage in the change process that defines us as either passive or active participants. My vision is that all stakeholders in a change process are given the opportunity to feel that they are included in the change and that their voice is heard, acknowledged, and included in decisions. In this way there is shared ownership of the process and more of a likelihood that the change is seen as something “done with,” rather than “done to,” those affected. In addition there must be a clear value shown at an individual and organizational level for change to take hold. Open, honest communication and opportunities for personal involvement are essential to the ongoing success of any change initiative. The focus on people is what is key, as Goman (2000) states:
Organizations don’t change, people do — or they don’t. If staff don’t trust leadership, don’t share the organization’s vision, don’t buy into the reason for change, and aren’t included in the planning — there will be no successful change — regardless of how brilliant the strategy. (Mistake #1, ¶ 2)
I see myself growing into the role as a change agent and leader as I have developed a clear understanding of what it takes to include others within a change process and to help to identify the value of the change at an individual and corporate level. Critical to this process is the ability to advocate passionately for what you believe, but to also be able to inquire of others and listen deeply to their thoughts and concerns in order to ensure that the needs of all are considered and incorporated into decisions related to organizational change. I value the ability that I have to build relationships and see it as critical to the success of any change process as gaining the support of key influencers within all levels of the organization is essential.
References:
Diffusion of innovations. (2009). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Accessed online various times between May and July 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_of_innovations
Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The story of success. New York: Little, Brown & Co.
Goman, C. (2000, December). The Biggest Mistakes in Managing Change. Innovative Leader, Volume 9, Number 12. Retrieved July 5, 2009, from http://www.winstonbrill.com/bril001/html/article_index/articles/501-550/article506_body.html
Seifter, H. & Economy, P. (2001). Leadership Ensemble. New York: Times Books.
Surowiecki, J. (2005). The Wisdom of Crowds. New York: Anchor Books.
Appendices:
The following project phases may be reviewed on my web-based portfolio at:
https://danieljwood.com/courses/edc-668-managing-learning-technology-for-change
- Summary of Opportunity for Change
- Evaluation of Learning Context of Change
- Resource List for Change
- Time line and Project Plan for Change
- Agent of Change Podcast
- Managing the Change
- Final Reflection Paper