Leading and Managing Change

Page 1: Leading and Managing Change

How Does One Overcome Resistance to Change?

Many lawyers believe they are immune to any of the changes going on in the profession and have many justifiable reasons for not moving on many personal and professional opportunities. The first step to overcoming the barriers to change is to recognize if you are a "resistor" to change.

It is useful to look at Figure 1, the resistance curve. This model has been adopted from Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's work on the cycle of grief. Look at the key indicators of each of the four quadrants. Then also look at "what you hear" for each quadrant. Have you thought or said these things? For just five minutes, try to stop the "yes, but ..." going on in your head. Take a deep breath and let me take you through an exercise.

Let yourself relax. Tell yourself, "This is not a call to action. I do not have to do anything. This is just a call for awareness."

Consider - do you resist change? Do you like to have the same dinner for the holidays? Do you put your clothes on in the same order every day? Do you think the music of your time is much higher quality/more interesting/cooler than music of other times? Have you changed the way you style your hair recently (or ever)? Do you still drop your bills off at the utility company rather than using the mail? Do all the new phone/TV/calendaring gadgets/services seem ridiculous to you?

Are you anxious about changes happening around you? Do you feel that you are in the dark? Do you feel overwhelmed and clueless about this whole topic?

If you have some inclination that change is very difficult for you and that there may be things you need to do to overcome resistance to change, you have made great progress. That is the hardest part.

Instituting Change: Guidance for Leaders

It can be very difficult leading in times of great change, especially if the profession/industry/peer group in which you are involved is ambivalent at best, and hostile at worst, regarding the recent pressures and trends. The following is a model for managing a change initiative. It provides eight factors for success that leaders need to consider when trying to implement any dramatic change within their domains.

While there is no set formula to follow to ensure successfully implementing change, you can improve your chances of success by using a fairly simple equation. The Successful Change Equation in Figure 2 is a way for leaders to think about and manage the key components of their initiative.

There must be:

1) A reason to change. Change for change's sake is most times not a positive motive. A leader must be able to articulate why the change is needed.

2) A clear vision as to what is going to change.

3) Clear steps for how the change will occur.

4) A belief that the change actually is achievable.

All four of these things need to be greater than the perceived cost of changing. In other words, "Will I get more out of this than I give?" The other critical piece in the equation is the ongoing involvement of the stakeholders of the change. Stakeholders are any individuals or groups that the change will impact. This includes employees, management, clients, vendors, and so on.

To assist with these major components of the Successful Change Equation, use the Change Factors for Success (CFS) in Figure 3. These eight factors comprise a framework for managing a change initiative. (Figure 2 shows how each of the CFSs fit into the Equation for Success.) Each of the eight factors should be evaluated and considered as either a barrier or enabler to a successful change. If deemed to be a barrier, then leadership needs to identify tasks and activities to turn that success factor into an enabler. If deemed an enabler, then leadership needs to leverage this strength during the change. Both of these efforts will increase the success of the project. Managed well, the CFSs represent a path to implementation success, greater realized value, and increased adaptive capabilities. This is what managing change is all about.

Page 3: Change Factors for Success