Let's change our change approach so we can better approach change!
Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity, not a threat. Steve Jobs
There is much written about change with organisations needing to constantly scan the horizon. Macro factors such as BREXIT, COVID-19, war, and inflation will challenge business in different ways. Local decisions such as introducing new IT software, refining the people structure, or pivoting on priorities are also impactful. The results of such, positive or otherwise, will be felt financially, operationally, reputationally, and individually.
A common statistic banded around is that 70% of change initiatives fail (HBR, Forbes or just google it!). In our opinion this is somewhat sensationalized as there are many facets to change and results will not be immediately apparent. But it does compel organisations to move to a ‘we must manage change’ position for fear of being part of that statistic.
At the time of writing there were over 3,000 change manager roles listed on TotalJobs in the UK. Definitions of the word manage include ‘be in charge of’; ‘maintain control over’; ‘control the use of’. Yet the oft cited reasons why change fails are due to having no clear case that drives commitment from others, lack of involvement or co-creation, and poor communication. These reasons are almost the antithesis of ‘to manage’.
If we were to be kinder surrounding this definition, then we may touch on ‘to treat with care’ and ‘to succeed in accomplishing’ but how many leaders have implemented change and felt like they were treading on eggshells during the process? Or how many project leads have pushed ahead with change to accomplish their target whilst ignoring carnage all around them? Things will be all right in the end.
Now we are not saying a change manager role is not needed but what if we were to reframe the expectation of every person’s role in the workplace? What if all employees were effectively change agents; spotting opportunities, driving continuous improvement, shaping how things are done, being advocates? Afterall, if we already know the common aspects of change failure then what’s stopping us baking into the culture of our organisations strong feedback loops, opportunities to hear every voice, and collaborating in the design and implementation of ideas?
Mahatma Gandhi famously said “be the change you want to see in the world” and in 1989, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, that’s exactly what people did. The citizens took hold and participatory budgeting became a thing where real control was held by the people surrounding how the budget was spent. It is regarded as being the most successful scheme in the world with over 17,000 people involved in 2002 and distributing over $160m of public money. In this case, people learnt more about tax revenue, where money can be spent, the trade-offs associated and much more. The people became more informed and, being involved in the process, actually decided to increase taxes!
Imagine in a business context where the Board wants to embark on a 5% cost cutting exercise and the workforce pipe up and tell you that they’ve got some better ideas that will save 10%! If you are willing to be transparent, involving, connecting, and engaging teams to help solve real problems, it happens. Aron Ain, in his book Work Inspired, written when he was CEO of Kronos, provides many examples where his teams didn’t look to the C-Suite or the change managers to save the day – they consolidated their own ideas to find the best solutions. Equally, when decisions did need to be made at a senior level, the workforce trusted that it was made in a considered way. Google encourage their people to spend 20% of worktime on personal side projects – this trust and investment led to the creation of Gmail and Google Maps. Proof that individuals within an organisation, who look outwards, can find solutions to problems that may not exist yet or enhance current reality.
In our view, too often, change management is done to others where problems are identified from a distance and solutions decided in isolation. An old HBR article is still relevant today “Fix the process, not the problem”. If the approach to change is taken from an inclusive position, involving those that the change ultimately impacts, a higher level of commitment will result. Steven R. Covey said “involve people in the problem and work out the solution together”. This approach can take longer and may be frustrating for some senior leaders who think they know best, but the motivation to deliver the intended outcomes will pay dividends.
If the environment is created where real involvement can happen, then arguably, organisations would be anticipating problems before they became something that require a reactive approach. This could actually drive more efficiency.
Take the well-known economics games created by MIT – the ‘Beer Game’. Whilst this is focused on systems thinking and recognising that our behaviours are often influenced by the context we find ourselves in, a key lesson arises - if we understand the problem from multiple perspectives we can derive much better solutions and avoid the onset of blame or fire-fighting.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) also highlight that for change to stick it’s imperative that those impacted can contribute, understanding the part they play and what it means. They suggest storytelling, physical representations, metaphors and play as advice in their change factsheet.
This is where LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® can add significant value, confronting the real issues, navigating the thoughts and feelings from all voices, and building clear actions to deliver the change. Proven in the LEGO® Group itself, to unlock innovative ideas, it has been embraced in Google, EY, KPMG, Coca-Cola, IKEA and more.
Having designed, led, and implemented multiple significant change initiatives in previous capacities, the approaches that work best are those that focus on the conditions for all to realise change agent status. It means:
- listening to what is really happening in the business
- involving the right people in the design and implementation of any change initiative
- strong communication at every stage
Success is more likely, plus people will feel better about it all too. Every organisation can strive for that. Some may even refer to the LEGO® models that their teams built, reflecting on the discussion it generated, and accept that the best solutions often come from those closest to the problem.
Visit www.prometheanplay.co.uk to find out more.
Promethean Play Ltd | Company registration no. 13687926 | VAT no. 437 3419 89
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