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  1. \title{Notes on Organizational Change}
  2. \author{Bil Kleb and Bill Wood}
  3. \date{3 February 2004}
  4. \documentclass{tufte-handout}
  5. \usepackage{amsmath}
  6. \usepackage{graphicx}
  7. \setkeys{Gin}{width=\linewidth,totalheight=\textheight,keepaspectratio}
  8. \graphicspath{{graphics/}}
  9. \pagestyle{empty}
  10. \AtBeginDocument{
  11. \nobibliography{sample-handout}
  12. \bibliographystyle{plainnat}
  13. }
  14. \begin{document}
  15. \maketitle
  16. \newthought{The Beckhard-Harris-Gleicher} change model\cite{Beckhard1987}
  17. states successful change will happen if and only if the product of the
  18. level of dissatisfaction with status quo, the appeal of the future
  19. vision, and the clarity of the steps necessary to achieve the vision is
  20. greater than the cost of change, measured in terms of emotion, direct
  21. expenses, and lost opportunity.
  22. \begin{displaymath}
  23. \text{change}
  24. \,\,\iff\,\,
  25. \text{dissatisfaction}\times\text{appeal}\times\text{plan}
  26. \,>\,
  27. \text{cost}
  28. \end{displaymath}
  29. If any factor is low, the chance for successful change is slim, no matter
  30. how compelling the other factors might appear.
  31. Similarly, if the cost is high, change is not worth pursuing.
  32. \newthought{Satir's model} of well-managed
  33. change\cite{Satir1991}\cite{Weinberg1997}\cite{Beckhard1987}
  34. emphasizes all change entails phases of loss and chaos that, if
  35. unanticipated, will cause a retreat to the original status quo.
  36. A change agent initiates the descent into chaos and then a transforming
  37. idea marks the beginning of the ascent to the new status quo.
  38. \marginnote{Five stage Satir change model diagram \textcopyright\
  39. stevenmsmith.com.}
  40. \includegraphics{satir_graph}
  41. \newpage
  42. \newthought{The Bateson Double Bind}\cite{Bateson1956}\cite{Bateson1962}
  43. is a recipe for schizophrenia that should be avoided in organizational
  44. structures:
  45. \begin{compactenum}
  46. \item Locate a victim who is somehow dependent on you.
  47. \item Issue a primary injunction with a threat of punishment for
  48. non-compliance.
  49. \item Issue a secondary injunction that contradicts the first, again
  50. coupled with the threat of punishment for non-compliance.
  51. \item Make the contradiction undiscussible and provide a threat of
  52. punishment if it is discussed.
  53. \item Make%
  54. \marginnote{Example: a researcher is dependent upon a mandated support
  55. service and the support staff imposes a level of service that is
  56. insufficient.}
  57. the undiscussibility undiscussible, but make appearances
  58. that everything is discussible.
  59. \item Make the victim believe they cannot exit the situation.
  60. \end{compactenum}
  61. \newthought{Block} observes that vision statements are worth something
  62. only to those who make them.\cite{Block1993}
  63. A vision cannot be handed down from upon high.
  64. Instead, each person or team needs to craft their own vision statement
  65. to have vested ownership and accountability.
  66. One clear requirement, however, is that at each level the vision must be
  67. tied to the one above.
  68. What%
  69. \marginnote{``Simple, clear purpose and principles give rise to complex,
  70. intelligent behavior,'' says Dee Hock, former CEO of Visa
  71. International.
  72. ``Complex rules and regulations give rise to simple, stupid behavior.''}
  73. the core workers do need from those above is a clearly defined,
  74. tangible mission statement that can be used by those at the lowest levels
  75. to make everyday decisions.
  76. NASA's current vision, mission, and goals slides have recently been
  77. cited\cite{Tufte2003}
  78. as embarrassing examples of what not to do:
  79. \vfill
  80. \begin{center}
  81. \includegraphics[width=0.5\linewidth]{nasa_vision_sm}
  82. \end{center}
  83. \vfill
  84. \newpage
  85. \newthought{Stop} using PowerPoint bullet list slides for strategic
  86. planning, technical communication, or anything but a marketing pitch.
  87. Lou Gerstner simply shut off the overhead projector when he
  88. began to bring IBM back from the brink of bankruptcy in 1992.
  89. He introduced the novel idea of using complete sentences to describe
  90. how goals would be met.\cite{Gerstner2002}
  91. Furthermore, 3M has documented\cite{Shaw1998}
  92. that bullet lists make us intellectually
  93. lazy in three specific ways: (1)~they are too generic---they offer a
  94. series of things to do that could apply to any business, (2)~they leave
  95. critical relationships unspecified, and (3)~they leave critical
  96. assumptions about how the business works unstated.
  97. Our project planning needs to (a)~embrace change, not try
  98. to suppress it and (b)~use PERT charts with uncertainties
  99. instead of CPM diagrams.\cite{Martin2003}
  100. Budgets are forecast tools, not specifications.
  101. Costs should only be tracked to the same level of precision as benefits
  102. are tracked, because the cost-to-benefit ratio has an approximate
  103. uncertainty equal to the maximum of the cost and benefit
  104. uncertainties.\cite{DeMarco2003}
  105. \end{document}