Saturday, May 19, 2012

Driving Change. Fifteen Years. Five Points.


I’m often asked if Meridian has an official Change Management methodology.  The short answer is No.

I fear methodologies force-fit the same activities on every situation.  That does not work. 

Instead we’ve distilled a set of principles that accelerate the adoption of new methods, processes, and technologies.

1.  People Follow The Path of Least Resistance—So Your Desired Goal Had Better Be On It

People naturally seek the Path of Least Resistance--the pathway that provides the least resistance to forward motion.  A person taking the path of least resistance seeks to minimize personal effort and/or confrontation.

It’s imperative to credibly demonstrate how proposed change(s)  are on the Path of Least Resistance—that is, how a new technology is easier to use or offers more “reward” than current approaches (“reward” in this context has many definitions, not just money). 

Painting the picture that a “new and improved” process or technology is easier to use is a bit of an art.  You can’t just say “this is better, trust me”—people must come to the conclusion themselves.  Hands-on exposure to the new methods or technology is necessary.  Success stories that explain how the new method is easier and better help.  Credible supporters who point out how the new approach is on the right path are a requirement (see my next point). 

Despite your efforts a better approach can struggle to gain traction.  In this case it’s proven effective to directly ask “Why won’t you adopt our new approach?  Why isn’t it better than our current methods?  What will it take to get you to switch?”  It takes some courage to ask these questions—you might find that your next great idea is miles off the Path of Least Resistance—but it’s better to know.

2.       Tap The Power of PEERS

I am very interested in the science of Diffusion—understanding how innovations spread through a population.  A core beliefs in Diffusion science is The Principle of Homophily (Homophily = "Love of the Same").  Homophily is the tendency of individuals to associate and bond with people who are most like them.  Homophily plays a powerful role in the adoption of new practices because we learn best from someone who is like us.

Homophily means it’s imperative to find your experts amongst the population you are trying to change.  It’s important to ensure any and all contractors who are engaged to help you change are most like your own people.  It’s better to actually grow your own Change Leaders, selecting and supporting a sub-group of your people who score high on familiarity to lead your change.

3. There’s PRIORITY & POWER, And They Aren’t Owned By The Same People

Adoption happens when it is clear that acceptance of the new is a real organizational priority and equally that the person who has immediate power over me allows or encourages adoption.  Senior executives foster adoption by lending their personal credibility to programs, deciding which programs control the best resources, and determining the professional gains accruing to contributors.  But “executive priority” alone will not ensure adoption.

It’s rarely acknowledged but true:  Individual contributors who have been asked to change how they work need the permission of their immediate supervisor to make this change.  This ‘permission’ is subtle—I’m not going to ask, “Gee, can I use this new accounting system?” but it will be abundantly clear to me whether use of the new system is what the person who holds power over me wants or does not want.  Mid-management and supervisors thus wield considerable power during times of change.  Every successful change program must understand and manage mid-level support for the program.  

4.       Never Underestimate The Problems of the PAST

Expectations for current success are always based on perceptions of past efforts and outcomes—even if those past efforts and experiences are not directly applicable.

Think of your company’s history: How many projects were regarded as disasters?  How often do people mention these disasters when a new project is introduced?

In our work supporting clients striving for business change skepticism about past efforts has material impact on support at least 80% of the time.

A major study we completed contrasting a sample of successful and unsuccessful corporate initiatives showed that perceptions of past support for projects was the second most important determinant of program success (expectations for rewards was the most important determinant).

Common sense strongly suggests a history of past failures colors future plans, leading people to wonder, “So what’s different this time?”

And that’s precisely the point.  You must understand how people view past projects.  And you must credibly explain what’s different this time. 

Many organizations want to bury the past.  They regard it as ill-mannered to mention past failures.  They fear mentions of past projects will somehow compromise people’s support, as if organizations lack collective memory.

Not advised.  It’s important to allow people to express skepticism about past projects, within bounds.  It’s imperative to credibly and consistently show people how this effort is different, and especially how this program’s results will differ.

5.       Sustain “Offensive” Support

Support equals the people and processes that move people from current practices to better processes.

Support usually happens after a problem occurs, rendering the support reactive or defensive.

Effective support should be “Offensive,” committed and to nipping problems early, often, and before they escalate.

“Offensive” support means telling people what is changing and why, addressing “what this means to me,” allowing errors during adoption, and providing mechanisms for eliminating errors over time.  Support should start early in the program and should sustain well past the formal “completion” or Go Live point.

Some examples of Offensive support include group and individual Information Sessions, Self-Guided Change Discussions, and increasingly online communities and forums.  Change Agents are critical—successful programs always deploy networks of people who are trained and tasked with providing hands-on, grass-root level support and leadership during times of change.

In Summary

Years of work supporting diverse change programs revealed the Five Principles we use to accelerate adoption of new technologies and methods. 

So I encourage you to consider all five when plotting your next organizational initiative.

But remember: While the principles are universal, the actions derived from them are always situational.  One size never fits all.