Someone unwittingly asked me recently to provide an opinion on the building blocks of change – and particular the ‘human considerations’ in the context of corporate Change Programmes.
When I had finished what my old mentor Louise Seymour used to refer to as a ‘Shane-a-logue’ some hours later, the person in question had vacated the scene and the lights were out. But I had a model and as anyone who’s worked with Accenture knows – that’s all you need baby.
For me the success of any corporate change programme is ultimately dependent on the composite of each individuals personal change experience. If enough individuals can embrace and adapt to the change then a critical mass will have been achieved and success will be realised. But ultimately it’s about mobilising individuals. And here’s one of my own models for consideration – at a basic level - the challenges of supporting individual change.
Shane’s Individual Change Success Model
In this I suggested (perhaps naively – it was 2005) that there are only two fundamental people related issues which need to be addressed as part of any organisational change effort:
- Capability
- Motivation
People can either be unwilling or unable to change and possibly both. Can they change? Will they change? The challenge is to be aware of the need to address both sides of the equation and develop suitable interventions in each area.
I need to build out this embryonic model to demonstrate the sort of change activities required to support an individual’s change capability and motivation for change. But for example under the Motivational ‘pull’ area called ‘Reinforcement’ I’d expect to see:
- A well defined, accurate and immediately accessible Business/Benefits case for the change program which those impacted can refer to in their ‘acceptance’ that this change is necessary/positive
- Inspiring and courageous leadership
- Inspiring and courageous communication
- An authoritative and equipped change network.
Sometimes I see Change Plans/Stratgies that are so incredibly complex they become impregnable to even the most seasoned of Change Management professionals, never mind those who are going to be asked to change and so I still take comfort in this model as a reminder that evolutionary psychology can tell us a lot about managing people through change – even when ‘a lot’ is just a little.
