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Dear Friends and Clients,

I remember attending my first “change management” seminar many years ago. I was one of a small group of executives put through a trial program as the company prepared to respond to an increasingly competitive marketplace.

The theory was that the company would go through a period of change while the industry experienced a bit of restructuring, then management could go back to normal. Nobody really expected the era of rapid change to last forever.

The idea of “change management” as a specialized set of skills now seems quaint. For most organizations, managing in the midst of a dynamic environment is a fundamental responsibility of leadership.

As a coach, I have the opportunity to observe leaders experience extraordinary growth while responding to the challenges of rapid change. The experience can be daunting, but also deeply rewarding. And in this issue I'll offer suggestions about managing change in your workplace, or your life.

Warmly, Bev


Change Yourself;
Change Your Organization

January 16th, 2007 * Number 52

In today's fast-moving world, managing change is a major challenge for leaders in all sorts of organizations. The marketplace is evolving constantly, many industries are in a continuing state of restructuring, and even the nature of our communities seems fluid. Institutional leaders are challenged to keep their entities moving forward while operating in a state of flux.

The responsibility for stimulating or coping with change does not, however, reside in just a few executive suites. We are all potential agents of change, and we all have the potential to make a difference, no matter what our role at work, at home, or in society.

Whether you are managing a major institutional restructuring, or thinking about new ways to spend your family time, some basic change management techniques might support your effort. Here are some suggestions for leading change:

  • Have a vision. You may not be able to project the precise outlines of your new world order, but it is important that you have – and can express – a clear idea of what you are trying to achieve. It may be helpful to write a mission statement for your current change process, along with a list of values that the change process is intended to create or preserve.

  • Repeat yourself. It's not enough to set out your vision and move on. Throughout the process there will be moments when you'll need to refocus on the basics. Look frequently at your vision statement, remind yourself of where you're going, and keep up a drumbeat of communications that express your goals and values to others involved in the process.

  • Know that change is tough. Human beings seem to be hard-wired to resist change. Perhaps because ancient people were more likely to survive if they stuck to familiar choices, most of us tend to be suspicious of new things, at least some of the time. And – as America's weight-loss industry knows – change can be very difficult even when we want to go in a new direction.

  • Expect resistance. Push-back is an inherent part of change, and experts suggest three strategies for responding to resistance:
    • “Telling ,” where you use rational arguments to convince people to change;
    • “Forcing ,” where you rely on authority and require change; and
    • Participating ,” which involves a collaborative effort to explore goals and values and resolve conflict.

  • Embrace resistance. “Telling” is a strategy that only seems to work when people already are motivated to change. And “forcing” is typically a short-term strategy that requires a degree of authority you may not have. A better approach to coping with resistance is to accept it as part of a feedback loop. People who are resisting at least are engaged in the change process. When someone is resisting, it might be an important time to pause and enter into a genuine dialogue. Listen, be mindful, and prepare to be flexible.

  • Take small steps. For many people, sweeping change is overwhelming. A useful technique can be to break change into tiny increments. In other words, if you are facing resistance, propose a very small step in the direction you want to go. Once that step has been taken, reward it in an appropriately low-key way and propose the next tiny step. Fitness trainers sometimes use this approach, beginning with a step as small as asking clients to merely stand on a treadmill, without even turning it on.

  • Use rewards. Too often change agents become so fixated on their end-game that they neglect the important practice of celebrating and reinforcing successes along the way. Small rewards, as basic as offering thanks or congratulations, can be important to keeping change going.

  • Ask positive questions. The practice of asking affirmatively worded open-ended questions can stimulate change. Ask, for example, “What would success look like?” or “How could we add more value here?” This kind of inquiry can stimulate creativity, and the positive nature of the dialogue is self-reinforcing.

  • Change yourself. Psychologists and philosophers have written at length about how one person's self-transformation can stimulate change in a community. There is much evidence that to be a successful change agent you must be willing to change yourself . As you seek to change others, listen carefully, be open to new ideas, and search for ways to more fully live the values that you are trying to convey. Be honest with yourself about areas where you are not truly walking your talk.

    • Want to Read More About
    Managing Change?

    Below is a brief description, as well as links that will allow you to buy the books directly from Amazon.com. For reviews of other helpful books, along with Amazon links, go to: ClearWays Books and Services. If you make a purchase after entering Amazon in this way, it will contribute to the cost of distributing Bev’s Tips, and be much appreciated.

    Building the Bridge As You Walk On It., by Robert E. Quinn, 2004.

    In an earlier book, Deep Change , Quinn wrote that anyone can become a leader of change, but to do so requires the transformation of self. With this book, he offers many stories of people who experienced profound personal change and in the process were able to transform their organizations.

    As he recounts the stories, Quinn expands upon his basic concept, and theorizes that “the transformative state” can become a “fundamental state of leadership.” In other words, he argues that, to effectively manage change, you must transform yourself in significant ways. And while you are in the process of “deep change,” you'll be effective at inviting others to participate in the change process.

    Inherent to Quinn's theory is the idea that leadership is not a collection of behaviors and techniques, but rather is a state of being. In other words, leadership isn't just something that you do . It is something that you are.

    To achieve a fundamental state of leadership, Quinn suggests that you:

    • Transform yourself:
      • Becoming more purpose-centered and asking yourself about what you want to create;
      • Examining and questioning your own patterns of hypocrisy; and
      • Developing specific change plans for yourself, then taking small steps forward.
    • Attract others to join the process:
      • Clarifying the shared purpose;
      • Increasing trust by modeling genuine service and empathy; and
      • Encouraging mindful behavior.



    Coaches can help you to build your capacity to lead. Bev offers executive coaching and leadership consulting, and is available to speak about a broad range of issues related to your work life. Visit her website at www.ClearWaysConsulting.com or email to Bev directly. Bev is certified by the International Coach Federation and associated with Executive Coaching & Consulting Associates.





    Bev’s Tips for a Better Work Life is published on the first and third Tuesday of each month by Beverly Jones, a lawyer and former executive who coaches accomplished leaders and professionals to bring new direction and energy to their work lives.

    Copyright ©2007, ClearWays Consulting, LLC & Beverly E. Jones. All rights in all media reserved. However, the content of Bev’s Tips for a Better Work Life may be forwarded in full without special permission on the condition that (1) it is for non-profit use and (2) full attribution and copyright notice are given. For other uses please contact Bev Jones.

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