25 training activities for creating and managing change training activities... · reproduced from...

25 Training Activities for Creating and Managing Change

Mike Woodcock and Dave Francis

HRD Press, Inc. • Amherst • Massachusetts

COMPLIMENTARY RESOURCES from HRD Press

The 2 activities in this download are free to use in training at a single corporate site.

Copyright © 1992, 2008, Mike Woodcock and Dave Francis The materials that appear in this book, other than those quoted from prior sources, may be reproduced for educational/training activities. There is no requirement to obtain special permission for such uses. We do, however, ask that the following statement appear on all reproductions:

Reproduced from 25 Training Activities for Creating and Managing Change, by Mike Woodcock and Dave Francis. Amherst, MA: HRD Press, 2008.

This permission statement is limited to reproduction of materials for educational or training events. Systematic or large-scale reproduction or distribution—or inclusion of items in publications for sale—may be carried out only with prior written permission from the publisher. Published in North America by: HRD Press, Inc. 22 Amherst Road Amherst, MA 01002 1-800-822-2801 1-413-253-3488 1-413-253-3490 (fax) www.hrdpress.com In association with Gower Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0-87425-198-2 Production services by Jean Miller Editorial services by Sally Farnham Cover design by Eileen Klockars



Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................. v Index to Activities ........................................................................................................ ix Activities Symbols ....................................................................................................... xi The Activities 1. Acquisitions Checklist..................................................................................... 1 2. Change Management Questionnaire.............................................................. 7 3. Charting Company History ............................................................................. 15 4. Club Fun: An Introductory Case Study in Managerial Economics .................. 29 5. Decision-Making Styles Review ..................................................................... 33 6. The Big-Box Home Improvement Centers Problem ....................................... 45 7. Dynamic Firepower Corporation: A Case Study ............................................. 53 8. Generating Strategic Options Checklist.......................................................... 63 9. How to Control................................................................................................ 71 10. The IT Edge: A Case Study in Managing Change.......................................... 87 11. IT Strategy Checklist ...................................................................................... 93 12. Management Paradigms Questionnaire ......................................................... 101 13. Managing Change .......................................................................................... 107 14. The Mighty Mouse Organizer Company: A Case Study in Decision Making ............................................................................................. 121 15. Motivators at Work ......................................................................................... 131 16. Motorway Garden Diners: A Manager’s Dilemma .......................................... 147 17. Objective-Setting Review ............................................................................... 159 18. Obstacles to Planning .................................................................................... 179 19. Organizational Options................................................................................... 187 20. Organizational Visioning................................................................................. 195 21. Practical Visioning .......................................................................................... 209 22. Quality First Audit ........................................................................................... 213 23. The Sailing Dilemma: A Decision-Making Exercise........................................ 223 24. The Sheriff of Nottingham and Robin Hood: A PR Case Study ...................... 229 25. Strategic Failure: A Mini-Workshop ................................................................ 235



v

Introduction

hen the authors were children, the patterns of life were more predictable. For example, Dave was brought up in a seaside town 50 miles from London, but few

people ventured to the big city. Life was conducted within a bicycle ride of home. Almost no one took overseas vacations. Rural life continued almost untouched by factory-farming methods. Regional accents flourished. Organizations endured, year after year, with little apparent change. People looked for careers that gave them security for life. Attitudes were inculcated by local worthies. The world felt stable and small. Now almost everything is different. Increasingly, the world is a global village. The Internet and e-mail have connected people across continents. Culture is multinational and heroes are global. Organizations change their structure and scope of operations with increasing frequency. An ever-increasing array of brilliantly innovative new prod-ucts simultaneously captures the imagination of consumers in Hong Kong, Los Angeles, and London. People reshape their lives in continuous adaptation to changing circum-stances. The world is indeed a different place. The scale and scope of social, political, and economic change means that individu-als can no longer rely on their lives following a predictable pattern. We need the skills to conceptualize what is happening, predict future changes, develop personal strategies, and adapt to new technologies, pressures, and opportunities. Managers, especially, need the skills to manage change. These can be categorized under four headings:

1. Preparing to manage change • The skills of tracking environmental, social, political, economic, technologi-

cal, and industrial forces for change • The skills of conceptualizing external changes and detecting meaningful

patterns 2. Articulating choices

• The skills of predicting the likely flow of changes and detecting both opportunities and threats—scenarios of what might happen

• The skills of exploring possible future strategies 3. Visioning the future

• The skills of auditing one’s own organization in order to determine current strengths and weaknesses

• The skills of developing a vision of the future that provides a template to effect the transformation of the organization

4. Implementing change programs • The skills of planning effective change programs • The skills of leading and implementing change programs

W



vi Today’s ways of thinking about organizational change are radically different from those of even ten years ago. The change models we use today are holistic and multi-dimensional. No longer do we use the metaphor of the organization as a puppet theater with the master puppeteer (top management) pulling the strings and the puppets (everyone else in the organization) behaving as commanded. Today we use the meta-phor of the organization as a brain with intelligence distributed widely: change being ini-tiated and implemented from many sources. Change is indivisible from the process of formulating and implementing corporate strategy. In fact, the strategic process is the way organizations manage change on the grand scale, just as a campaign plan is the military template for orchestrating change on the battlefield. For this reason, many of the exercises in this book explore aspects of corporate strategy, which is the primary device for aligning organizations behind a coherent vision of what purposes are served and how those purposes will be achieved. Change is, therefore, not defined as a random or purely adaptive phenomenon, but a set of planned initiatives toward a coherent strategic intent. This definition of change is particularly important for those planning change in com-mercial organizations. Current thinking in relation to a firm’s competitive strength indi-cates that a coherent and tested definition of what real value the company provides (and intends to provide) is at the heart of success when it can be provided within budget. Accordingly, change programs need to be coordinated toward:

• Understanding the potential sources of competitive advantage. • Identifying what value the firm provides at the present time. • Identifying the potential added value that the firm could provide. • Understanding the real drivers of costs within the firm. • Developing a coherent competitive strategy. • Communicating the elements of the competitive strategy to all concerned. • Nourishing the change processes necessary to refine and implement the

chosen competitive strategy. • Continuously questioning and redeveloping the strategic intent of the firm

within a context of environmental change. The Scope of Change Current thinking about change emphasizes that sustainable advantage is derived from the accumulation of a myriad of minor developments rather than a few big breakthroughs. Change is therefore primarily incremental and additive, and everyone within the organization needs to be involved in making change happen. In many organizations, the concept that everyone should be dynamically involved in managing change is foreign. Rather, people lower down in organizations tend to adopt the attitude that their role is that of “an underling”! Of course, once a subservient stance is taken, the person becomes disempowered and looks upward in search of initiatives rather than taking self-driven initiatives. It is this old-fashioned hierarchical concept of organization that undermines progress toward an organization for the future—one that needs to be a continuously adapting, evolving, and externally focused organization that has institutionalized change within an overall strategic intent.



vii

Challenge, therefore, needs to be harmoniously undertaken at several levels. These include the following:

1. The individual level—adopting the attitudes and acquiring the skills to manage continuous personal development

2. The team level—developing a close, energetic, effective, and supportive team capable of managing cooperation toward collective objectives

3. The inter-team level—building effective linkages between different depart-ments, groups, and functions

4. The strategy formation level—ensuring continuous analysis of the organiza-tion with appropriate processes for developing sustainable competitive strate-gies

5. The structural level—developing the organization’s structure to fulfill the identi-fied strategy at minimum cost

6. The cultural level—developing the values and attitudes of the organization to instill pride in performance

7. The stakeholders’ level—identifying all those who have an interest in the organization and building bridges with each stakeholder

The facilitator can create the preconditions for individuals, teams, and organizations to undertake the continuous change processes outlined above. It is the task of the facilitator to create and sustain what is becoming known as “the learning organization” in that continuous evolution is the natural condition. This requires that at every organizational level, ongoing learning from experience is achieved. Experiments have to be undertaken and the results reviewed in order to extract learning points. There is a flow between the four processes of objective setting, decision making, action, and learning. Each is vital; each requires different skills; each informs the next process. The facilitator will often conduct training courses and workshops to develop relevant attitudes and skills. This provides the focus of development, but the skills acquired need to be implemented before real learning takes place. This is the principle of “action learning” and underlies the construction of the exercises in this book. Structured Activities Educationalists have demonstrated in many different settings that personal experience is a precondition for learning that results in behavior change. Appreciation, instruction, or didactic methods are insufficient. Practical experience that directly involved the learner is essential if real development is going to take place. This insight is applicable to all age groups—from school children to adult learners. However, the benefits of experiential learning are most apparent with mature adults who have already developed their personal constructs or “world views.” Only the first-hand realization of one’s inadequacy generates focused insight and sufficient energy for change.



viii The activities in this book are designed to facilitate learning in the area of managing change. The primary audience is managers and management students, but many of the activities can be used with a wide variety of professional staff. Suggestions regarding the target audience for specific activities are given in the introductory notes. Each of the 25 activities in this book provides the opportunity to conduct a structured experiment into the reality of the change process. Clear objectives are laid out in each case. Preparatory notes are included and the relevant materials are provided for photocopying. The facilitator will choose which activities are relevant to a particular audience. We have found the following guidelines helpful:

1. Choose activities that relate to the strategic objectives of the organization. 2. Work with volunteers whenever possible. 3. Take great care to explain the reasons why activities are being undertaken. 4. Allow sufficient time for completion and reflection. Learning points often emerge

only after extended discussion. 5. Treat the activities seriously. Prevent interruptions. 6. Watch out for anyone who is embarrassed or appears to be distressed by the

process. Give professional follow-up counseling if required. 7. Adapt the activities to suit the particular needs of the client group, but

experiment first before you undertake the activity for real. 8. As a facilitator, make sure you experience each activity from a participant’s

point of view. 9. Record the outcome of discussions and circulate summary notes whenever

possible. 10. Set aside time for a facilitator’s review. Practice what you preach!



ix

Index to Activities The index below shows with which stage of the change process each activity is primarily concerned.

ACTIVITY

Stage 1: Preparing to

manage change

Stage 2: Articulating

choices

Stage 3: Visioning the

future

Stage 4: Implementing

change programs

1. Acquisitions Checklist •

2. Change Management Questionnaire

•

3. Charting Company History •

4. Club Fun •

5. Decision-Making Styles Review

•

6. The Big-Box Home Improvement Centers Problem

•

7. Dynamic Firepower Corporation

•

8. Generating Strategic Options Checklist

•

9. How to Control •

10. The IT Edge •

11. IT Strategy Checklist •

12. Management Paradigms Questionnaire

•

13. Managing Change •

14. The Mighty Mouse Organizer Company

•

15. Motivators at Work •



x

ACTIVITY

Stage 1: Preparing to

manage change

Stage 2: Articulating

choices

Stage 3: Visioning the

future

Stage 4: Implementing

change programs

16. Motorway Garden Diners •

17. Objective-Setting Review •

18. Obstacles to Planning •

19. Organizational Options •

20. Organizational Visioning •

21. Practical Visioning •

22. Quality First Audit •

23. The Sailing Dilemma •

24. The Sheriff of Nottingham and Robin Hood

•

25. Strategic Failure •



71

9 How to Control

Objectives

• To clarify the different philosophies of control available to managers • To diagnose the philosophies of control being used within a defined

organization • To explore options for changing the philosophies of control within a defined

organization • To enable managers to reflect on the relationship between strategy and control

philosophies Preparation

This activity has been designed for use as a short survey within a defined organiza-tion for raising management’s consciousness about control issues. It can be used within a department, section, function, site, or organization. The activity may also be used as a session during a management training course or as part of a team-build-ing workshop. This activity is particularly useful as it assists a strategic team to think through issues related to strategic implementation. Any number of participants may take part at the same time.

Materials

Each survey respondent will need a copy of Exercise 9.1. Each participant will need a copy of Exercises 9.1 through 9.3. The facilitator will need a transparency of OH 9.1 (and an overhead projector) and, if desired, a photocopy of it for each partici-pant as an additional handout.

Time Required

Approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes (excluding preparation) Method

If the exercise is being used as an organizational questionnaire, sufficient copies of Exercise 9.1 should be completed by a random sample (approximately 10 percent) of the people who work within the organizational unit being studied. Before photo-copying and distributing the questionnaires, complete the box on the first page with a definition of the organization. Collect completed questionnaires, score them on the answer grid provided, and prepare a summary of the consolidated data for a work-shop session conducted as described on the next page.



72

1. Begin the workshop session with an outline of the objectives above (5 minutes).

2. Ask each participant to complete Exercise 9.1 as directed. Whenever possible, participants should have the same definition of the organization to be studied, which should be entered in the box provided (10 minutes).

3. When all participants have completed Exercise 9.1, distribute copies of

Exercise 9.2. Ask participants to transfer the scores from the completed ques-tionnaires as directed and draw up a profile. At this point, a brief lecture on the seven control styles from OH 9.1 may be given. If available, data from the pre-liminary survey should also be provided at this stage (15 minutes).

4. Average the scores from participants who have studied the same organization

and calculate the arithmetic mean. Distribute copies of Exercise 9.3, group par-ticipants into pairs or groups of three, and ask them to complete the worksheet as directed (20 minutes).

5. Conclude the session by asking each group to share the results of their discus-

sions with the other groups and, if appropriate, devise an action plan (20 minutes).



Reproduced from 25 Training Activities for Creating and Managing Change, Mike Woodcock and Dave Francis, HRD Press, 2008

OH 9.1

Seven Styles of Control A. Personal power—direct control by one person

B. Job specification—control by job structuring

C. Defined skills—control by training

D. Defined outputs—control by measurement of

results

E. Ideology/vision—control by inspiration

F. Teamwork—control by peer pressure

G. Policies—control by generalized rules




Exercise 9.1: Management Control Questionnaire

This short questionnaire has been designed to help managers review how they are leading the organization. In the box below you might find a definition of the organization being reviewed—if this is the case, answer each item strictly in relation to this definition. If the box is blank, enter a brief description of the part of the organization that you will be reviewing before continuing.

The organization being reviewed is:

Read each statement below. Using the scale that follows, rate each statement according to the manager’s style of control. The statement is true 3 points The statement is partly true 1 point The statement is untrue 0 points

1. Everyone works directly for one manager.

2. Job descriptions determine exactly what employees are required to do.

3. Almost all employees have had extensive training to develop their basic

skills.

4. There is a general belief that it is what you achieve that matters—not how

you get there.

5. There are unwritten policies that cover most scenarios.

6. Employees get together and sort out what should be done through

discussion.

7. There are written policies that cover most scenarios.




Exercise 9.1 (continued) The statement is true 3 points The statement is partly true 1 point The statement is untrue 0 points

8. There are few rules here: the boss makes almost all decisions personally.

9. Jobs are tightly specified.

10. Employees make their own decisions—based on training and experience.

11. All employees know precisely what results are required.

12. Employees know what to do because they understand where the

organization is going.

13. Groups of employees get together and discuss what future goals should

be.

14. Clear policy guidelines covering most issues have been laid down by

senior managers.

15. This organization is personally directed by a single individual.

16. Each employee’s task is tightly defined by a job description.

17. Most employees need to have had extensive education or training before

they can work in this organization.

18. Every employee has a set of objectives against which his/her

performance is regularly measured.

19. Senior managers take a great deal of care to explain the future direction

of the organization.

20. Employees’ behavior is greatly influenced by others in their work group.

21. Written policies are used to inform employees about how they should

behave.




Exercise 9.1 (concluded) The statement is true 3 points The statement is partly true 1 point The statement is untrue 0 points 22. There are few rules here: the day-to-day decisions are made by the

leader alone.

23. This organization is controlled by detailed rules and regulations.

24. Employees set their own standards based on their past professional

training.

25. Each employee knows precisely what he/she is responsible for achieving.

26. Every employee knows the mission of the organization.

27. Employees look to their colleagues to determine how they should behave.

28. Senior managers have issued broad directives that tell employees what

standards need to be maintained.




Exercise 9.2: Answer Grid and Explanation

Transfer the scores from your completed questionnaire onto the answer grid below. Add the scores in each vertical column and enter the totals in the appropriate boxes below.

A B C D E F G

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

TOTALS

A B C D E F G The scores indicate that the following control mechanisms are used:

A. Personal power B. Job specification C. Defined skills D. Defined outputs E. Ideology/vision F. Teamwork G. Policies




Exercise 9.2 (continued) Profile Transfer the scores from your answer grid onto the profile below by circling the relevant number. Connect the circled numbers to provide a profile.

12 12 12 12 12 12 12

11 11 11 11 11 11 11

10 10 10 10 10 10 10

9 9 9 9 9 9 9

8 8 8 8 8 8 8

7 7 7 7 7 7 7

6 6 6 6 6 6 6

5 5 5 5 5 5 5

4 4 4 4 4 4 4

3 3 3 3 3 3 3

2 2 2 2 2 2 2

1 1 1 1 1 1 1

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

A B C D E F G




Exercise 9.2 (concluded) Explanation The profile represents one person’s perception of the forms of control used in his/her part of the organization. Below is a brief explanation of the results:

A. Personal power: A high score indicates an organization that is directly con-trolled by one individual. Formal systems are weak. This is often found in small organizations or organizations in crisis.

B. Job specification: A high score indicates an organization that is controlled

through a tight definition of the behavior that is expected from each employee. Formal systems are strong. This is often found in large organizations that per-form routine tasks.

C. Defined skills: A high score indicates an organization that is controlled by

values, methods, and skills implanted in employees through extensive educa-tion and training. Formal systems set the boundaries within which employees operate. This is often found in professional organizations.

D. Defined outputs: A high score indicates an organization that is controlled by a

process of management by objectives. Formal systems specify results to be achieved. This is often found in organizations where employees have consider-able discretion about how they work.

E. Ideology/vision: A high score indicates an organization that is controlled by

communication of strategic intent and organizational culture. Formal systems ensure that communication takes place. This is often found in organizations based on a strong set of values.

F. Teamwork: A high score indicates an organization that is controlled by peer

pressure—employees take their definition of what is right or wrong from discus-sion with other members of their team. Formal systems are sometimes ignored. This is often found in organizations that require employees to work in teams and where there is a high degree of interdependence between employees.

G. Policies: A high score indicates an organization that is controlled by policies,

general rules, and principles that have been formally published on the authority of senior management. Exact details of desired behavior are excluded. This is often found in organizations where employees have a degree of discretion about how they act in the fact of complex circumstances.




Exercise 9.3: “How to Control” Worksheet

1. Consider the results of the questionnaire in Exercise 9.1 and complete the columns.

Predominant control styles used

Why these styles are employed

Degree of appropriateness




Exercise 9.3 (continued) 2. Consider the following when completing the columns below: Are there different

views among group members? Are there any significant differences between your group’s views and the survey data? Why did these occur?

Different Views Why These Occurred




Exercise 9.3 (continued) 3. In the next five years what, in your group’s opinion, needs to happen to each of the

seven control styles (e.g., increase, decrease, change emphasis, etc.)?

What needs to change? A.

Personal power:

B.

Job specification:

C.

Defined skills:

D.

Defined outputs:

E.

Ideology/vision:

F.

Teamwork:

G.

Policies:




Exercise 9.3 (concluded) 4. Reflect on the strategy of the organization. What forms of control are needed to

implement the strategy? How should the needed forms of control be installed?

The organizational strategy is:

Forms of control needed for implementation

Actions needed to install the needed controls



87

10 The IT Edge: A Case Study in Managing Change

Objectives

• To explore how new information technology (IT) can influence visioning and goal setting

• To develop skills in the management of change • To examine technologies for improving organizational control and communica-

tion Preparation

This activity is relevant for managers at every level and is particularly useful for introducing the topic of managing organizational change. As many participants as desired can undertake the activity at the same time.

Materials

Each participant will need a copy of Exercise 10.1. The facilitator will need a trans-parency of OH 10.1, blank overhead transparencies, markers, and an overhead projector.

Time Required

1 hour and 10 minutes Method

1. Introduce the activity by referring to the objectives above and divide the partici-pants into groups of four to seven members. Distribute a copy of Exercise 10.1 to each group and ask them to complete the assignment as directed (5 minutes).

2. As participants undertake the exercise, walk around to each group to answer

questions (40 minutes).

3. Ask each group to make its presentation. Record the key points on overhead transparency acetates and then lead a discussion to complete a final transpar-ency laid out using headings as shown on transparency OH 10.1.



88

Effective Management of Change

Ensure that this is done Ensure that this is not done

The purpose of the final exercise is to record general learning points related to the management of change. Whenever possible, specific behaviors should be identified. The final transparency should be photocopied and used as a handout for the session (25 minutes).




OH 10.1

Effective Management of Change

Ensure that this is done

Ensure that this is not done




Exercise 10.1: Case Study

Consider the case study below and then undertake the task suggested. Case Study It was a hot and humid afternoon in a small hotel seminar room. The air conditioning had broken down and a small fan barely stirred the air. Six perspiring managers sat around the table. They were the team that ran the W. G. Company, which supplied components to light engineering companies. The day was dedicated to an important issue—how to use the capability of information technology (IT) to gain competitive advantage. At the invitation of Kevin Nixon, chief executive, William Arnez stood at the overhead projector. As commercial director, William had masterminded an extensive study of the potential of IT. He said, “I would like to outline my findings, and then we must discuss what to do next. “Basically, I have discovered that information technology is the key to our future. If we learn to use the potential of IT, then we will gain competitive advantage. If we fail to apply IT, then we will be outmaneuvered by our competitors and lose the race. So IT is not an optional extra—IT is an integrated element in our philosophy of running the business. “Let me give you a brief list of where IT can help us. These are the main areas:

• Helping our manufacturing be more flexible • Shortening lead times in production • Assisting in new product introduction • Improving our capacity to identify costs • Tracking our competitors’ performance • Pooling talents and databases to solve problems • Improving the quality of market analysis • Monitoring social, political, and economic trends • Improving our project management skills • Increasing our capacity to meet delivery dates • Tracking orders in progress • Improving the quality of personnel management • Simplifying export documentation

“If that sounds like a lot, let me assure you that many more applications and benefits are possible. But there are several things that you need to be aware of. Let me give you the key points:




Exercise 10.1 (concluded)

• First, we have to adopt a consistent approach—data must be consistent for all applications.

• Second, we must understand what the systems will do for us—we can’t let consultants design our system.

• Third, we must not become dependent on a few specialists—the knowledge of the system must be transferable.”

At this point, the chief executive, Kevin Nixon thanked William and said, “We have some decisions to make. Clearly we must take IT seriously, but it is going to be expensive, disruptive, and potentially dangerous. We have all heard stories of companies that have gone down the IT route only to find that electronic chaos now reigns where a manual system used to work effectively. I see the questions as:

• How do we decide what we want? • How do we make the right decisions about advisors? • How do we decide what we can afford? • Which equipment and software should be purchased? • How quickly should the program be implemented? • How should we acquire the new skills needed? • What is a reasonable time frame?”

Your Task Consider the case and produce a checklist of decisions that need to be taken by the top management team in the W. G. Company. Your checklist should indicate a priority for each decision, who should be involved, and any criteria you consider relevant. Be prepared to present your views on OH 10.1 in 40 minutes.



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