| Is change management more of a craft provided by | | | | People must be motivated to change. The science of |
| organizational artists or a consistent methodology | | | | fair process and the neuroscience of positive |
| driven my scientific principles? Why is this even an | | | | visualization make motivation highly predictable too. |
| important management question? | | | | More specifically, by presenting the positive deviant's |
| The difference between these paradigms has | | | | powerful images of success in a way that generates |
| significant implications for leadership. When leadership | | | | a sense of respect and dignity in the organization (fair |
| thinks of change management as a craft profession, it | | | | process), people tend to embrace the change. In fact, |
| assumes that all change is driven by individual skills | | | | they feel deeply honored that the organization so |
| operating in an essentially intuitive ad hoc way - i.e. as | | | | completely believes in their ability. In turn, when people |
| though each manager and consultant is a crafts | | | | visualize themselves as functioning at the same levels |
| person creating a unique product. This increases the | | | | of positive deviants, neuroscience research has shown |
| uncertainty and complexity of change initiatives, making | | | | that there is a release of neurotransmitters that drive a |
| them significantly more problematic. | | | | consistent increase in willingness and ability to learn |
| Conversely when leadership views change | | | | something new. |
| management as a scientific process, change | | | | Motivation, that has long been more an art form that a |
| management, including individual responses to change, | | | | predictable process, is now highly predictable. By |
| become highly systematic and predictable and can be | | | | creating the right conditions, almost all participants |
| managed much as organizations now manage | | | | show significantly increased motivation. |
| standard production processes. Confidence and | | | | Sustain Change |
| willingness to tackle more significant changes therefore | | | | The craft of change management is particularly |
| increase because it is under direct management | | | | ineffective at sustaining a performance improvement. |
| control. | | | | Because so much of craft change management is |
| The difference is hoping that an organization will | | | | about personal relationships, when the person is no |
| achieve high performance versus knowing exactly | | | | longer present, change efforts consistently falter. |
| when and how desirable performance improvements | | | | In contrast, the neuroscience principle of "neurons that |
| will be achieved. | | | | fire together wire together" and the emergence of |
| Change Management as Craft | | | | persuasive technology provide capabilities that |
| Wikipedia defines a craft as a "family of artistic | | | | consistently and systematically sustain a change effort. |
| practices that traditionally are defined by their | | | | The key to getting neurons to permanently wire |
| relationship to functional or utilitarian [areas and | | | | together in support of a new business capability is |
| are]...practiced by independent artists working alone or | | | | intensive, repetitive practice. The positive deviants tell |
| in small groups." | | | | us the nature and frequency of this practice. |
| Why has change management been like a craft | | | | Persuasive technology ensures that people actually |
| industry? Change management has consisted of a | | | | practice. |
| group of essentially "artistic" practices such as | | | | Persuasive technology, which is defined as technology |
| assessments, workshops, training, coaching, executive | | | | that "changes what people and do," is specifically |
| presentations and similar processes that are designed | | | | designed to provide people with the prompts and |
| to the drive a variety of changes in the organization. | | | | support required to achieve the levels of practice |
| These are artistic because each practice is developed | | | | required for complete internalization of a change. |
| and deployed by essentially independent practitioners | | | | Features like weekly prompts, continuous status |
| such as managers, trainers, and/or consultants who | | | | reporting to management and other standard features |
| work mostly independently or in small groups in highly | | | | in persuasive technology drive participants to practice |
| idiosyncratic (i.e. artistic) ways. | | | | enough to achieve the positive deviant level of |
| Consequently, the effectiveness of most change | | | | performance. Thus, sustainability of a change is now |
| management work is more a result of the artists' | | | | grounded in science and technology and is completely |
| individual capabilities than of a predictable process. | | | | predictable. |
| Sometimes these artists produce extraordinary results. | | | | Scaling Change |
| Sometimes the results are dismal. In all cases, the | | | | The craft of change management problems with |
| results are unpredictable, which makes for significant | | | | sustainability become significantly more acute when |
| management challenges. | | | | hundreds or thousands of people must change to |
| How can a management team confidently lead a | | | | improve performance. How can a crafts person |
| change when the process of making the change is so | | | | possibly touch these large numbers since change is all |
| uncertain? As a Vice-President of a Biotechnology | | | | due to the individual contact? |
| firm put it: "When I kick off a performance | | | | Here too recent scientific advances solve the scaling |
| improvement initiative, I have no clue what is ultimately | | | | problem. In particular, the integration of the principles of |
| going to happen, and I really don't like that feeling." | | | | mass customization into persuasive technology |
| The Science of Change Management | | | | provides a scientific methodology for touching many |
| Until just recently, there wasn't really any reason to | | | | more people, more efficiently than previously thought |
| think about a distinction between a craft view of | | | | possible. Mass customization is an organizing system |
| change and a scientific model of change. Change | | | | that enables a central organization to mass produce |
| management had for so long consisted of a set of | | | | the energy and materials for a change, while treating |
| conventional "craft" wisdoms that few questioned the | | | | everyone uniquely, thereby increasing personal |
| approach, even if the accepted wisdoms were | | | | motivation. |
| minimally effective. | | | | When embedded in persuasive technology, mass |
| Now, recent advances in four areas of research and | | | | customization guides large numbers of users to |
| the emergence of a new technology are changing this | | | | consistently and systematically embrace the positive |
| perspective. By combining work on positive deviance, | | | | deviant images of extraordinary performance. |
| fair process, neuroscience and mass customization | | | | Comfort with the Craft |
| into a single change model, and delivering change | | | | If the science of change management is so advanced, |
| guidance through persuasive technology, it is possible | | | | why are so few companies using it? The obvious |
| to ensure that 98% of personnel in an organization | | | | answer is that the people responsible for change |
| embrace a change initiative. Here is the model that has | | | | management either don't know about the scientific |
| evolved from the science: | | | | advances or are themselves practitioners of the craft |
| Set-the-Bar | | | | and are hesitant to acknowledge that their methods |
| In order to manage change effectively, the | | | | are no longer viable. In either case, organizations are |
| organization has to develop a compelling image of the | | | | put at competitive risk because they are not keeping |
| desired end result of the change. Research on positive | | | | up with some of the capabilities others are beginning to |
| deviance tells us that the people who consistently and | | | | use. |
| systematically outperform others (the organization's | | | | Summary |
| "positive deviants"): | | | | Every executive we know talks about their changing |
| Always have these compelling images | | | | world, that change is a constant, and how their |
| Are easily identified | | | | organization needs to continuously improve |
| Exist in all job categories in all organizations | | | | performance to succeed. Until now, the processes |
| Can be interviewed using simple, reliable techniques | | | | were, at best, ad hoc undermining leadership's |
| that gather their "wisdom" quickly and effectively | | | | confidence in the ability to change. Now, leadership can |
| The science on positive deviant is extremely | | | | quickly, predictably and cost-effectively make these |
| consistent. By leveraging their positive deviants, all | | | | changes happen every time empowering executives |
| organizations can always, and easily develop the | | | | to tackle more complex and sweeping change to |
| powerful images required to drive change. | | | | meet increasingly intense competitive demands. |
| Motivate Change | | | | |