Assignment Unit 5 - 7010

CHANGE MAKING: PAVING THE WAY

For leaders to be able to innovate, they need to know how to overcome resistance to change in themselves as well as in those who work with and for them. An essential step in overcoming such resistance is to understand why people don't want change in their lives. Here are some reasons. As we introduce them, ask yourself which of these reasons you have used when facing the need to change.

First, people may not have trust in those who are asking for the change and, as a result, may insist that the change is unnecessary. Some worry that the organization's motive for implementing the change is to save money, and therefore, the change might result in the organization downsizing and perhaps eliminating their jobs. Second, people imagine that they might not be up to the change. They worry that they might lack the skills needed once the change is put into effect. Third, people wonder if the change might mean that they could suffer a loss in personal power or status because they might suddenly need to share resources or no longer be able to make decisions for themselves and therefore would not be in control of their futures. Whatever its source, people fearful of change often experience psychological stress, in large measure because they perceive change to be personally threatening.

What should you, the leader, do in the face of such resistance? The leader's role is to reframe the idea of change—so instead of its being seen as a threat, it is viewed as an opportunity. This can be done if you provide the means for those involved to learn new ways of doing things. It can be done if you help them find within themselves the desire to grow, to explore new paths, and to identify new ways to contribute creatively. 5

In leading the transformation in thinking about change, the advice of leadership theorist John Kotter can help. Kotter suggests leaders take the following steps:

1. The leader needs to help receivers perceive an untapped opportunity as urgent. They need to believe that maintaining or preserving the status quo could, in short order, find them facing a crisis. Thus, they need to see not changing as more risky than changing.

2. The leader needs to identify a team of supporters—a guiding coalition whom others admire and respect—to partner with him or her, sharing leadership, in pursuit of the opportunity.

3. The leader needs to communicate a compelling vision—one neither complicated nor vague—capable of pushing others forward into the future, one that is very ambitious but at the same time possible to achieve. The vision clarifies the organization's purpose, its values, and its goal.

4. The leader needs to communicate the vision repeatedly. The leader's message needs to be consistent, delivered through a variety of means, and reach the various groups or stakeholders involved in ways that speak directly to them. Persistence and repetition are essential—it takes time for a message to really get through.

5. The leader needs to give those involved the power to act and take risks so that they no longer feel powerless—it's about involving the right people in doing the right things.

6. The leader needs to plan for and attain reachable goals. Small wins can be huge. In fact, small wins at the beginning make the big wins at the end easier to get. Wins help the leader create support for change.

7. The leader needs to emphasize achievements, building on them to yield more change.

8. Finally, the leader needs to institutionalize progress so that innovation becomes a habit—a continuing process and organizational pursuit. 6

Theory Into Practice

It's Transformational

James MacGregor Burns and Bernard Bass were among the first to differentiate between leaders who exercise traditional leadership (transactional leaders) and those who practice a more potent kind of leadership labeled transformational. 7

While transactional leaders focus on satisfying the basic needs of followers, transformational leaders seek to fulfill their higher needs. As a result, while transactional leaders rely on giving rewards to employees in exchange for desirable performance, transformational leaders seek to enrich workers’ self-esteem and inspire them to become self-actualized. Burns, Bass, and others theorized that transformational leaders bring about big changes, making big differences in their organizations, whereas transactional leaders mostly succeed in maintaining the status quo.

The following factors are among leadership variables researchers identify as active in transformational leadership: charisma (the leader's ability to connect and build trust), intellectual stimulation (the leader's ability to foster effective problem solving and decision making), and inspiration (the leader's ability to motivate and communicate high expectations and performance).

What leaders are you aware of or do you know who embody these qualities? What innovation(s) have they succeeded in implementing?