Why Most Approaches to Organisational Change Are Not Transformative - And One Approach That Is!
“It’s a very inspiring and dignified way to explore complex issues and future decisions.”
– Josephine Rydberg, Managing Director, IKEA
Note - for a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn more about this emerging approach to organisational change and the 8 principles, read about the upcoming Workshop on Changing Organisations & Communities with international facilitators, change agents and authors, Marv Weisbord & Sandra Janoff.
See also - 8 Principles for Organisational Change & Community Development
Organisational Change - The Problem
If you are like most organisational leaders and managers, you sometimes feel frustrated at your ability to effect organisational change and development.
Despite all your attempts, staff and other stakeholders don’t seem to have any desire to engage or take responsibility. In fact, it may sometimes seem to you that the more you try to get them to change, the more entrenched they become.
You may have also experienced external consultants who have delivered prescriptions for change, only to find that they failed to take into account all the conditions or failed to generate commitment from staff and others to implementation.
And if you are like most, you have probably found the efforts involved tiring and draining.
Organisational Change - The Solution
Well, there is a solution - a solution which results in enthusiastic engagement and action from internal and external stakeholders to achieve that which your organisation was previously unable to achieve.
It is based on 60+ years of management theory and practice and accords with the emerging management approach of how to best effect change within organisations
It is an approach based on the theory developed by internationally recognised leading US based management consultant and author Marv Weisbord - including the Learning Curve that you see on this page (which could equally be called the Evolution of Organisational Change).
What this Learning Curve reflects is that the emerging most effective approach to Organisational Change is “Everybody Improves Whole Systems” (which could also be described as “The Whole System Improves the Whole System”).
If you are like most organisations, you are NOT fully using this emerging approach - and that is also why you are not achieving the organisational change you seek.
It is as simple as this. Unless you understand and apply the emerging most effective approach to changing your organisation, you can’t hope to maximise that change. What’s more, if your competitors ARE using this approach and you’re NOT, then you will be left behind.
| About Marv Weisbord
Marv is an internationally recognised facilitator, change agent and author. He is the recipient from the US Organisational Development Network of The Lifetime Achievement Award. His book Productive Workplaces was voted by the OD Network as one of the top 5 OD books of the last 40 years and has been described by Robert Dilworth, Associate Professor of Human Resource Management, Virginia Commonwealth University: “This book now falls into the category of a classic, a staple for those striving to understand the fundamental reasons for successful organizations…” Along with Sandra Janoff, Marv is a Co-Founder and Director of the international NGO Future Search Network which exists to bring this approach to organisations and communities globally. |
Organisational Change - The Emerging Approach
If you look at the Learning Curve you will note that the emerging approach has two elements to it:
1. You move away from a focus on problems (glass half empty) to an appreciative based focus on future opportunities (glass half full).
2. You move away from the idea that experts have the answers, whether those experts be senior management, external consultants or academics - you will recognise this in such forms as senior management developing the organisation’s strategic plan, consultants diagnosing and providing blue prints for change, and academics having the one right answer.) Instead, you move towards the idea that the answers for most effective change lie with the ‘whole system’.
What has also been shown is that, despite the awesome benefits of modern technology, with one proviso the most effective way to implement this approach of “Everybody Improves Whole Systems” is face to face meetings. The one proviso is that the meetings need to be well planned and well led.
This approach to organisational change is called ‘Future Search’ and it includes both a set of principles for leading more effective meetings and changing your organisation (Future Search Principles) and one particularly powerful method based on those principles (Future Search Conference Method).
|
What is the ‘Whole System’ and Why You Need to Get it into the Room At its broadest level, the ‘whole system’ refers to a representation of all internal and external stakeholder groups and a representation of different demographics across those stakeholder groups. The people in this ‘whole system’ can only be determined by reference to the purpose or focus of the organisational change initiative. As one example, for a corporation focused on strategic planning, stakeholder groups might include the Board, executive, middle management, staff, suppliers, customers, academics and industry experts. And demographics might include age, gender, culture, etc. However, it is also the case that at a lower level, in every day meetings, you can simply ask the question “who else should be here”.A great way of doing this is to identify the people who have Authority, Resources, Expertise, Information and Need in the context of the purpose of the meeting. As to the question of why it is important to involve the ‘whole system’, here are 4 reasons:
|
Organisational Change - The Outcomes
In short, what Future Search facilitates is far greater enthusiastic collaborative action leading to your organisation achieving that which was previously unable to be achieved.
At its ideal, it leads to the following 7 distinct outcomes:
1. An abundance of new ideas and initiatives
2. Total agreement on the key areas
3. Working teams around each area
4. A vision for each area
5. Action plans for each area and the initiative as a whole
6. Engagement and enthusiasm
7. Fast implementation
The principles can be applied to literally all meetings, but in one structured meeting of the “whole system”, you can achieve enormous organisational change. Such meetings can focus on any systemic issue including:
- Developing a Shared Purpose or Vision
- Developing a Strategic Plan
- Implementing an Existing Plan
- Managing Organisational Growth
- Sustainability
- Culture
- Building Common Ground Amongst Management, Staff, Unions, Customers, Suppliers and the Community
- Meeting the Challenges of Tight Budgets and Resources
- Improved Quality or Productivity
- Designing or Redesigning Process
- Improved Workplace Learning and Performance
- Improved Customer Service
- A Plan of Action Following Expansion or New Leadership
|
Case Study - Ikea’s Systems Redesign and Organisational Change This article describes an alternative to months-long systems redesign. In one meeting, the global furniture retailer, IKEA, applying the principle of “whole system in the room,” created a new structure and process for product design, manufacture, and distribution, decentralizing an agglomeration of “silos” that no longer served. Some 52 stakeholders examined the existing system, developed a new design, created a strategic plan and formed task forces led by key executives to implement it. In 18 hours, the plan was developed and signed off on by the company president and key people from all affected functions, with active support from several customers. (Courtesy, The Journal of Applied Behavioural Science 2004). More on Ikea’s System Redesign and Organisational Change (PDF). |
8 Principles for Organisational Change
As indicated, the success of this type of initiative is a function of how well planned and led the action-oriented meetings are.
There are 8 principles for structuring such meetings and for ensuring the success of such change initiatives. (Given that such meetings are the best way for effecting organisational change, these principles could well be regarded as ‘the 8 Principles for Organisational Change‘.)
Organisational Change - Understandable Scepticism
Many organisational leaders have understandable scepticism about this approach for two reasons
Firstly, like all of us, you have probably experienced many small group meetings that were unproductive, let alone large group meetings.
It is the combination of proper planning, quality meeting leadership and particularly commitment to the 8 principles that make this approach so powerful and so effective.
Second, many leaders are concerned about things that may be shared during the process and what will come out of it.
This is covered in more detail in our Organisational FAQs but suffice to say that (1) anything that is shared is done so bearing in mind that no organisation is perfect and that every organisation has the ability to improve, (2) you can set in advance any important non-negotiable parameters, and (3) as one participant, you have the right to disagree with any of the proposed strategic areas.
The final point to make about any such understandable scepticism is that the outcomes speak for themselves. Read the following praise from other organisational leaders.
Praise for This Approach to Organisational Change
“I can honestly say that I have never seen such an approach produce such positive outcomes, goodwill and energy.”
– Dee Anderson, CEO, U@MQ, Macquarie University (see longer testimonial/case study - PDF)“Brilliant’
– Malcolm Gunning, Managing Director, Gunning Commercial; Chair, Kings Cross Business Partnership“By my likes Future Search is the most useful, tangible, actionable output that I have ever seen - and I’ve seen some in my time.”
– Dennis Alter, CEO and Chairman, Advanta Corporation“Inspirational”
– Wendy Foster, President, North Sydney Chamber of Commerce“The approach was a wonderful way of getting engagement and ongoing action from the community, business, agencies and government around community and organizational wellbeing.”
– Doug Grand, CEO, Sydney Aussie Rules Football Club; Chair, Kings Cross Licensing Accord“The energy and enthusiasm generated by the meeting was extraordinary.”
– City of Sydney staff“[This approach] helped us achieve a level of common understanding that otherwise would have taken us years.”
– Dick Haworth, Chair, Haworth Inc“I have never seen such a process create a feeling of wellbeing and mutual energy and harmony.”
– Paul Goodwin, CEO, GROW Sydney’s Area Consultative Committee“If only every facilitator worked like this, we would all sign up to attend meetings rather than avoid them!”
– Judy Schector, Director, Developing Leadership In Reducing Substance Abuse“By the summer of 2000 we knew that without important changes, air traffic, rife with parochialism, would grind to a halt….We made magic in that meeting. This result was previously thought impossible.”
– Jack Kies, Program Manager for Air Traffic Operations, Federal Aviation Administration“No other event in the history of my own professional career changed my ability to function as a leader more than this approach. It could be used in nearly any organization. It is a positive, energizing and productive approach to dynamic leadership.”
– Dr. Sandra Chapman, Principal, Oak Hill Elementary School“I got more done in 2½ days than could have been done in 5 years of phone calls.”
– Gloria Valoris, General Manager, Berrett-Koehler Publishers“How do we achieve consistent 20% growth per annum? We run a Future Search every 5 years.”
– John Mackey, CEO and Chair, Whole Foods Markets (one of the fastest growing Fortune 500 companies)“These ideas should be required listening for all leaders.”
– Roger Cowan, fmr Group CEO, Panthers Entertainment Group
A small sample of other organisations that have used the Future Search approach include 3M, Digital, Sony, Whirlpool, Lend Lease, Red Cross, Amoco, Association of American Railroads, Bank of America, Avery Denison, Australia Post, Shell, Brain AG, Siemens, Canadian Imperial Bank, CIGNA, Nissan, World Bank, Zurich Insurance and Johnson & Johnson.
Want To Learn More About How This Approach Can Help You Effect Organisational Change?
If you are an organisational leader, manager or consultant who is interested in this approach, you may want to take advantage of what could well be a once in a lifetime opportunity.
The internationally renowned creators of Future Search, Marv Weisbord and Sandra Janoff, are coming to Australia in October 2008 to run their revised workshop on Changing Organisations and Communities - One Meeting at a Time.
This workshop is based on their recent bestseller Don’t Just Do Something, Stand There! - Ten Principles for Leading Meetings That Matter.
Think about what it would mean for your organisation and your professional influence if you were able to lead far more productive and effective meetings.
That is what you will learn from this Workshop - how to lead much more effective meetings that will result in significant organisational change.
Big discounts are available for early registrants - but they are going fast!
More on the Changing Organisations and Communities Workshop and Registration Form
For more on the Future Search approach and how it facilitates organisational change, see Organisational FAQs.
-
Prestigious Change Workshop
Advanced Meeting Leadership Workshop for Leaders and Consultants, with internationally renowned US authors and consultants Marv Weisbord and Sandra Janoff of Future Search fame. Sydney. October 2008. Large discounts for first 20 registrants! » More details
Download Registration Form and Brochure
