1 Forces for Change

Introduction

Research and practice suggest that many change initiatives fail to achieve all the results originally envisioned. Given our experience, it might seem that the odds are against change-focused leaders. However, it doesn’t need to be that way. Successful transformation leaders use the forces of change to overcome the status quo and keep the organization moving toward a better future.

Two primary forces must outweigh inertia or resistance to change. The level of dissatisfaction with the status quo, combined with the power of a compelling vision of the future, must outweigh the inertia of the status quo. Organizations experience inertia: if they are static, they tend to remain the same; if dynamic, they tend to change and adapt continuously. Those that change and adjust have an easier time transforming and may not need a major transformation. However, many organizations are static and do not change much, if at all, and then only when forced.

The organization designer must address these three components – dissatisfaction with the current situation, a compelling desired reality, and resistance to change to successfully [re]design and [re]build an organization or part of an organization (individual system).

Read Chapter 1, Forces for Change, in the [Re]Create Book.

Objective – Understand the Forces for Change concepts, components, and relationships and how they contribute to leadership and organization [re]design to achieve sustainable excellence.

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Why change? In this lesson, you will identify the pushing and pulling forces for change in your organization and the inertia of the status quo that is holding you back. Specifically, you will describe your dissatisfaction with your current organization. Then, you will describe the vision or desired reality that you want to achieve. Finally, you will identify those things holding you back from moving forward and progressing toward your vision.

Forces for Change Framework 

Video 0:42

Objective – Identify the pushing and pulling forces for change in your organization and the inertia of the status quo that is holding you back.

Describe your Dissatisfaction with your current organization (division, department, etc.). Describe the Vision or Desired Reality that you want to achieve. Identify the things holding you back from moving forward and progressing toward your vision – Inertia.

Dissatisfaction with Current Reality

What are the sources of dissatisfaction? Describe why you are not satisfied with the status quo, including any crises you may be facing, stakeholder pressures (both internal and external), competitors, regulatory pressures, and any industry disruptions that may be going on.

Examples of dissatisfaction might include losing market share, struggling to address new regulations, or high workforce turnover that drives up costs and affects other parts of the business. Perhaps you are having trouble with a new product or experiencing a crisis, and social media is making it worse. The task here is to identify the sources and why you are not satisfied. Don’t get sidetracked into working on solutions. Just capture what “is” right now.

Desired Reality

To write down your compelling vision of the future, address the following questions. What is your compelling vision of the future? What does the organization look like that you really want? What are the ultimate products, services, and customer experiences? What is the ideal culture? What is it like to work in the organization that you really want? Make this as explicit and as vivid as possible, but don’t get stuck trying to develop something that you don’t have right now. In a later lab, we will develop the compelling directive further.

Some examples of the desired reality might be the best products and services in your niche as viewed by the customer and measured by market share. Or an ideal organization might be one where the workforce shares in the success or profitability, or maybe it’s a truly great place to spend your working life as perceived by your organization’s members. Perhaps your ideal organization is a culture of learning and continuous improvement. This worksheet aims to capture your current ideas and any formally documented descriptions of the desired future.

Inertia – Status Quo

The third and final step is to identify what holds your organization back from making the changes that would create the organization you really want. What habits are keeping you from changing? What are your people satisfied with that keeps them in the same old rut? What cultural traditions are preventing your organization from changing?

Maybe your people like the culture you have, and now you need to change, and people are resistant. Perhaps you have a pleasant work environment with few demands to learn new things and change, and it has become a comfortable rut. Or maybe your benefits package and incentives aren't motivating anyone to change. Maybe everybody is naively happy with current performance, ignorant of what's possible. The task is to identify what's getting in your way. Then develop ways to mitigate or eliminate those things that are holding you back in subsequent labs.

Conclusion

The forces for change are necessary to overcome the inertia of the status quo. As an organization designer, the leader must understand, create, and leverage these forces to transform the organization effectively. The next nine labs (#2 through #10) form a systematic approach to leadership that integrates the forces for change. These leadership activities apply the concepts of dissatisfaction with the current reality, the desired reality, planning, and credible leadership to move the organization toward sustainable excellence. Actively manage the forces for change throughout the transformation.