managing transition workshop

Managing Transition Workshop

Cardmember Core Process

Group

October 16, 2003

“Change is the law of life. And, those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”

- John Fitzgerald Kennedy

The Change Epidemic

Wal-mart, an upstart leaves K-mart, Sears and Penny in the dust

Fox, CNN and cable end the dynasty of ABC, NBC and CBS

A computer on every desk, a cellular in every car, a beeper on every belt …

Change versus Transition

Change is SITUATIONAL

Transition is PSYCHOLOGICAL

The Transition Process

Source: Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change by William Bridges.

The Neutral Zone

Ending, Losing,Letting Go

The NewBeginning

The Three Phases of Transition Explained

1. Letting go of the old ways & identity people had.

2. Going through an in-between time when the old is gone but the new is not fully operational.

3. Coming out of the transition and making a new beginning.

Transition – A Way to View It

Transition starts with an ENDING and finishes with a BEGINNING.

Reactions to Transition

Complete this worksheet

Almost anything is easier to getInto than out of.

- Agnes Allen, American Writer

How to Get People to Let Go

Complete this worksheet

Managing Endings: A Checklist

Complete this worksheet

Questions to Ask Yourself in Endings:

What actions can you take to help people deal more successfully with the endings that are taking place in your organization?

What can you do today to get started on this aspect of transition management?

The NEUTRAL ZONE

1. If you don’t understand it you will rush through it.

2. Frightened in no-man’s-land and try to escape it (increased turnover during org. change efforts).

3. If you escape it, you loose the opportunity to be creative, develop what you need to become and renew yourself.

The neutral zone is a dangerous and opportune place; it is the very core of the transition process.

Neutral Zone Dangers Anxiety rises and motivation falls Miss more work – productivity suffers

(rise in medical & disability claims) Old weaknesses reemerge People are in overload – mixed signals

and unreliable Teamwork & loyalty are undermined Company is vulnerable to attack

Possibility Thinking – Look Beyond the Flaws

Take a moment and think of a time when you were encouraged to be innovative and suggest new ideas. Describe the environment. If you have never worked in that type of environment, try to imagine it …

What can a leader do to foster such an environment?

The CRITIC versus THE COACHThe Critic Focus on defects &

problems Identifies barriers Shoots holes in ideas Listens in order to criticize

and judge Interrupts, nitpicks Judges the presenter

harshly Punishes wild ideas and

failures

The Coach Focuses on desired results Finds ways to make it

work Finds Golden Nuggets in

ideas Listens in order to

understand and discuss Is considerate of others

and their points of view Encourages new ideas and

risk takingWhich one are you?

Blessing in Disguise?

Think of an example in your life that was a blessing in disguise. What was the blessing in disguise?

Questions

Most managers find it easy to fall into the role of a Critic. Why?

How would practicing the behaviors associated with the Coach make you more effective?

What could you do to be more of a Coach?

Managing the Neutral Zone: A Checklist

Complete this worksheet

Question to Ask Yourself in the Neutral Zone …

How can I make this interim between the old and the new not only a bearable time but also a time during which the organization and everyone’s place in it are enhanced?

How can we come out of this waiting time better than we were before the transition started?

Reinforcing the New Beginnings

1. Be Consistent2. Ensure Quick Successes3. Symbolize the New Identity4. Celebrate the Success

New Beginnings 2

If transition is mishandled we often say “the change did not work” or “fell short.”

We should really say … “WE GOT THE PEOPLE OUT OF EGYPT,

BUT THEY ARE STILL WANDERING SOMEWHERE IN THE WILDERNESS!”

Managing New Beginnings: A Checklist

Complete this worksheet

Questions to Ask Yourself in New Beginnings

What actions could you take to help people deal more successfully with the new beginnings they must make if your change effort is to succeed?

What could you do today to get started on this aspect of transition management?

More Questions

What are your strengths in implementing change as a change agent?

What areas of improvement could make you a better change agent?

Think about a specific change you are thinking about implementing. What could you do to ensure its successful implementation?

“The change is going to be rapid that as business leaders, we have to find out how to make change a satisfier rather than a dis-satisfier. And, I believe that’s one of the major challenges we face. The future leaders of all institutions who figure out how to encourage their people to change – have them feel good about change – are the ones who are going to come out ahead.”

-David T. KearnesFormer Chairman & CEO of Xerox Corporation

Reflections …

1. What will I do different after attending this workshop?

2. What will I do going forward to manage resistance to change?

3. How will I measure success?

References

William Bridges, Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change (Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing, 2003)

The stages of the grieving process were first described by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, M.D. in her now-classic book On Death and Dying (New York: Macmillan, 1969)