I need an assignment done for week 2 JWI 556: Leading Change by Putting People First Assignment 1

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JWI 556 (1196) Page 1 of 8

JWI 556

Leading Change by Putting People First

Week Two Lecture Notes

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JWI 556 (1196) Page 2 of 8

FIRST, CHANGE YOURSELF

What It Means

Changing oneself first is not about making any particular change before you ask others to join you in a

larger change process. It’s more about understanding the forces that influence all of us when it comes to

change – those that hold us back and those that propel us forward. While you must not assume the way

you react to change will be the same as others, understanding the patterns, trends, and tendencies that

influence all of us will make you a better change leader.

Why It Matters

 The forces that support or impede the success of change initiatives are largely human forces.

The more insight you have into these psychological factors, the more you can direct your efforts

in the right way, and avoid the mistake of thinking you are just changing “the system” and not also

changing people.

 The more insight you have into your own change style tendencies, the better you will be able to

coach and support others going through change.

 It will help you better identify how to lead positive change in HR departments and keep people

first when leading all change initiatives.

“I increasingly see gutsy HR men and

women helping provide the leadership

needed to change the systems to fit a

new vision.”

John Kotter

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JWI 556 (1196) Page 3 of 8

PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT IMPEDE CHANGE

We continue this week with the themes that were introduced in Week 1. Along with our exploration of the

challenge of change and Kotter’s approach to leading it, we are introduced to psychological factors that

influence our willingness and ability to change. We continue our ‘look in the mirror’ to gain insight into our

own tendencies toward change and why we feel the way we do.

To restate the central premise of our course, change is a human undertaking. Yes, we talk about

changing systems and processes and products. But the real barriers in driving change aren’t typically

forces of economics, nature, or technology – it’s the people. If you look back at what you read about

Kotter’s model last week, you will see that the eight steps are all about the human forces that drive or

impede change.

We’ve noted already that resistance to change is expected. It disrupts the norm and brings fear of the

unknown. Plus, it’s just plain hard. However, there’s more to it than that. In their article, “The Real Reason

People Won’t Change” (2001), Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey explain that resistance to change is a lot

more complex.

“Resistance to change does not reflect opposition, nor is it merely a result of inertia.

Instead, even as they hold a sincere commitment to change, many people are unwittingly

applying productive energy toward a hidden competing commitment. The resulting

dynamic equilibrium stalls the effort in what looks like resistance but is in fact a kind of

personal immunity to change.

When you, as a manager, uncover an employee’s competing commitment, behavior that

has seemed irrational and ineffective suddenly becomes stunningly sensible and

masterful – but unfortunately, on behalf of a goal that conflicts with what you and even

the employee are trying to achieve.”

Kegan & Lahey, 2001

Understanding this tension not only sheds additional critical light on what it means to lead change by

putting people first. It also focuses the responsibility of the team leader on how to support others who

want to make the change, but are held prisoner by powerful forces they may not fully understand.

“As a manager, you must guide people through this exercise with understanding and

sensitivity…in a sense, all managers are psychologists. After all, helping people

overcome their limitations to become more successful at work is at the very heart of

effective management.”

Kegan & Lahey, 2001

Kegan and Lahey introduce a three-step model that managers can use to help uncover and address

these barriers to change. While we won’t go over the details of this process in these lecture notes, we will

take a glance at the general structure and key questions.

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JWI 556 (1196) Page 4 of 8

1. Managers guide employees through a set of questions designed to uncover competing

commitments

1) What would you like to see changed at work, so that you could be more effective, or so

that work would be more satisfying?

2) What commitment does your complaint imply?

3) What are you doing, or not doing, that is keeping your commitment from being more fully

realized?

4) If you imagine doing the opposite of the undermining behavior, do you detect in yourself

any discomfort, worry, or vague fear?

5) By engaging in this undermining behavior, what worrisome outcome are you committed

to preventing?

2. Employees examine these commitments to determine the underlying assumptions

1) Notice and record current behavior

2) Look for contrary evidence

3) Explore the history

4) Test the assumptions

5) Evaluate the results

3. Employees can then start the process of changing their behavior

The questions and process Kegan & Lahey present provide important guidance to bear in mind if we are

to lead change by putting people first. They provide critical insights into the psychology of change that

must be addressed if we strive to be holistic in our approach to change. Further, these tools are not just

valuable in leading your team through change, but in gaining a deeper understanding of your own

tendencies – something which is the focus of our first assignment in the course.

As Kegan & Lahey remind us,

“As you go through this process with your employees, remember that managers are

every bit as susceptible to change immunity as employees are, and your competing

commitments and big assumptions can have a significant impact on the people around

you…It’s not about identifying unproductive behavior and systematically making plans to

correct it, as if treating symptoms would cure a disease. It’s not about coaxing or cajoling

or even giving poor performance reviews. It’s about understanding the complexities of

people’s behavior, guiding them through a productive process to bring their competing

commitments to the surface, and helping them cope with the inner conflict that is

preventing them from achieving their goals.”

Kegan & Lahey, 2001

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JWI 556 (1196) Page 5 of 8

YOUR OWN PERSONAL CHANGE STYLE TENDENCIES

How do you react when you are asked to change?

Okay, that’s probably not a fair question. Or more accurately, not a very well-defined question. The

reason, of course, is that we don’t have just one standard set of reactions that apply equally to all different

sorts of changes. And if you don’t react the same way to all types of change initiatives, you can’t expect

that others will be any different in how they react.

We may want to tell ourselves a little white lie that it’s always somebody else who resists change – it’s

never us. But the evidence just doesn’t support that. Jack observes,

“Everyone in business claims they like change; to say otherwise would be career suicide. In fact,

it’s quite common to see someone describe himself as a ‘change agent’ right on his resume.

That’s ridiculous.

By my estimate, real change agents comprise less than 10 percent of all businesspeople. These

are the true believers who champion change, know how to make it happen, and love every

second of the process.”

Winning, p. 139

To support our pursuit of developing a better understanding of change, we will leverage the Change Style

Indicator ®. This self-assessment tool will help you uncover your own tendencies toward change. This

knowledge can be used to help you leverage the forces that propel you forward. It can also help you gain

insights into how your attitudes toward change may be similar to, and different from, those of other

members of your team.

If you’re going to build a strong team that can drive meaningful change in HR, you have to honestly

assess the way your team members feel about change. Only with the right people, and the right support,

can you make it happen. As Jack says,

“To make change happen, companies must actively hire and promote only true believers

and get-on-with-its. But with everyone claiming to like change, how can you tell who is for

real?

Luckily, change agents usually make themselves known. They’re typically brash, high-

energy, and more than a little bit paranoid about the future. Very often they invent change

initiatives on their own or ask to lead them. Invariably, they are curious and forward-

looking. They ask a lot of questions that start with the phrase, “Why don’t we…?”

These people have courage – a certain fearlessness about the unknown. Something in

them makes it OK to operate without a safety net. If they fail, they know they can pick

themselves up, dust themselves off, and move on. They’re thick-skinned about risk,

which allows them to make bold decisions without a lot of data.”

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JWI 556 (1196) Page 6 of 8

Winning, p. 139

Following on Jack’s guidance, you are encouraged to review the article from Week 1 by Aiken and Keller

published in the McKinsey Quarterly (2003). It presents some great ideas that will help you keep people

first as you implement change.

While their overall approach supports Kotter and acknowledges the success of his model, it does not

present a step-by-step process. Rather, it looks at change as a four-part framework: (A) Compelling

Story, (B) Role Modeling, (C) Reinforcing Mechanisms, and (D) Capability Building.

The main focus of the article is the differences which we all naturally have when it comes to what

motivates us and how we receive change messages. This guidance adds support to Kotter’s model and

helps ensure that our adherence to his model does not shortchange the complexities of human

interactions. It reminds us that lots of different types of people are going to be impacted by the changes

we lead, and the better we understand their differences, the more effective we are as leaders.

Again, while we won’t present the details here, we will recap the main points in Aiken and Keller’s

approach:

A. Creating a Compelling Story

 What motivates you doesn’t motivate most of your employees

 You’re better off letting them write their own story

 It takes a story with both positives and negatives to create real energy

B. Role Modeling

 Leaders mistakenly believe that they already “are the change”

 “Influence leaders” aren’t panaceas for making change happen

C. Reinforcing Mechanisms

 Money is the most expensive way to motivate people

 The process and outcome have got to be fair

D. Capability Building

 Employees are what they think, feel, and believe in

 Good intentions aren’t enough

Aiken & Keller, 2003

As you reflect on your own change style tendencies, and how they will impact the way you lead others

through change initiatives, consider Patty McCord’s guidance.

“Build the ideal team by starting with the vision down the road. Identify the problem you

want to solve, the time frame you want to solve it, the kinds of people who will be

successful at that, and what they need to know how to do, then ask yourself, What do we

need to do to be ready and able, and whom do we need to bring in?”

Powerful, p. 78

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JWI 556 (1196) Page 7 of 8

A CHANGE PLAN FOR HR AND FOR YOUR CAREER

“Imagine your life as two superhighways. One courses with the stuff you’re very good at,

the other with the stuff you really love to do. Now, imagine those superhighways

intersecting. Right there – at the overlap of your capabilities and your happiness – lies the

site where ideally you should build your career.”

Real-Life MBA, p. 180

This guidance comes from Jack and Suzy on finding your Area of Destiny (AOD). If you can identify it,

AND if you can put in place the changes needed to get there, you will have found your calling and be on

your way to career bliss.

You have been encouraged throughout your MBA program, and especially in your HR concentration

courses, to develop the skills you need to deliver in your current role. You have also been encouraged to

ask questions about what more you can do personally, and what you can do to transform HR into a key

strategic driver of your organization’s success.

You’ve been introduced to tons of great ideas in JWI 521: Recruit, Develop, Assess, Reward, Retain and

JWI 522: Strategic Partnering with the C-Suite. Hopefully, these have inspired you and gotten the creating

juices flowing. We have provided a refresher on some of these ideas in the “Change Initiatives in HR

Leadership and Talent Development” document in your course readings this week. It presents key

themes from authors you have encountered before, including Ram Charan, Bill Conaty, Patty McCord, Bill

Lazlo, and, of course, Jack. It will be a required component in your group project, so make sure you

spend some time with it. Go back and re-read key parts of the source texts from which the quotations

were taken.

If you’re feeling inspired to do more, but feeling stuck where you are, then it’s time for a change. As we

draw this week’s lecture notes to a close, you are encouraged to review Jack and Suzy’s action steps for

getting unstuck for inspiration.

1. Overdeliver

2. Volunteer for Hard Duty

3. Acquire Followers the Hard Way

4. Make Sure You’re Tech-Current

5. Get Real About Mentors

6. Love Everyone

The Real Life MBA, pp. 201-212

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JWI 556 (1196) Page 8 of 8

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THIS WEEK’S CLASS

As you read the materials and participate in class activities, stay focused on the key learning outcomes

for the week:

 Examine the psychological factors that impede change

Don’t allow the tools you are exploring to be merely academic exercises that are

interesting, but have no application in the real word. Use what you are learning to build a

deeper understanding of others and how they may be influenced by psychological factors

that work against change. Leverage the models to become a better coach for your team at

work. When you are working with a team member who is struggling to make a needed

change, help them uncover competing commitments and hidden assumptions that may be

impeding change. If, at first, you feel uncomfortable doing this in the workplace, try out the

process with a trusted friend or a family member.

 Identify and evaluate your own personal change style tendencies

Take the results you get from the Change Style Indicator ® and review them against real

changes that you have actively pursued in your life. Which ones were successful and which

were not? Share your assessment results with a trusted friend or colleague for validation. Are

there any patterns they see that you may have missed? If you know people who have been able

to overcome resistance to make important changes, what common change style tendencies do

you see in them? If you can’t identify these from observation, see if they are open to talking

about the change and how they managed it.

 Develop a change plan for HR and for your career

Commit the time and energy needed to develop a vision for where you want to be in your career

in the next one to three years. What is your Area of Destiny – that intersection where what you

are really good at and what you love doing come together? If you are feeling stuck, understand

that we all run into roadblocks in our professional lives that we struggle to get past. What are the

change tools you can leverage to move ahead and work through the competing forces that hold

you back?

How well does your Area of Destiny align with your vision for leading change in HR? Write down

what the role HR professional should be in your organization. What will it take to get it there? If

you could get your HR team to function in a way that fulfills your vision, how would that help you

realize your Area of Destiny?