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- \title{Notes on Organizational Change}
- \author{Bil Kleb and Bill Wood}
- \date{3 February 2004}
-
- \documentclass{tufte-handout}
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- \begin{document}
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- \maketitle
-
- \newthought{The Beckhard-Harris-Gleicher} change model\cite{Beckhard1987}
- states successful change will happen if and only if the product of the
- level of dissatisfaction with status quo, the appeal of the future
- vision, and the clarity of the steps necessary to achieve the vision is
- greater than the cost of change, measured in terms of emotion, direct
- expenses, and lost opportunity.
- \begin{displaymath}
- \text{change}
- \,\,\iff\,\,
- \text{dissatisfaction}\times\text{appeal}\times\text{plan}
- \,>\,
- \text{cost}
- \end{displaymath}
- If any factor is low, the chance for successful change is slim, no matter
- how compelling the other factors might appear.
- Similarly, if the cost is high, change is not worth pursuing.
-
- \newthought{Satir's model} of well-managed
- change\cite{Satir1991}\cite{Weinberg1997}\cite{Beckhard1987}
- emphasizes all change entails phases of loss and chaos that, if
- unanticipated, will cause a retreat to the original status quo.
- A change agent initiates the descent into chaos and then a transforming
- idea marks the beginning of the ascent to the new status quo.
- \marginnote{Five stage Satir change model diagram \textcopyright\
- stevenmsmith.com.}
- \includegraphics{satir_graph}
-
- \newpage
-
- \newthought{The Bateson Double Bind}\cite{Bateson1956}\cite{Bateson1962}
- is a recipe for schizophrenia that should be avoided in organizational
- structures:
- \begin{compactenum}
- \item Locate a victim who is somehow dependent on you.
- \item Issue a primary injunction with a threat of punishment for
- non-compliance.
- \item Issue a secondary injunction that contradicts the first, again
- coupled with the threat of punishment for non-compliance.
- \item Make the contradiction undiscussible and provide a threat of
- punishment if it is discussed.
- \item Make%
- \marginnote{Example: a researcher is dependent upon a mandated support
- service and the support staff imposes a level of service that is
- insufficient.}
- the undiscussibility undiscussible, but make appearances
- that everything is discussible.
- \item Make the victim believe they cannot exit the situation.
- \end{compactenum}
-
- \newthought{Block} observes that vision statements are worth something
- only to those who make them.\cite{Block1993}
- A vision cannot be handed down from upon high.
- Instead, each person or team needs to craft their own vision statement
- to have vested ownership and accountability.
- One clear requirement, however, is that at each level the vision must be
- tied to the one above.
-
- What%
- \marginnote{``Simple, clear purpose and principles give rise to complex,
- intelligent behavior,'' says Dee Hock, former CEO of Visa
- International.
- ``Complex rules and regulations give rise to simple, stupid behavior.''}
- the core workers do need from those above is a clearly defined,
- tangible mission statement that can be used by those at the lowest levels
- to make everyday decisions.
- NASA's current vision, mission, and goals slides have recently been
- cited\cite{Tufte2003}
- as embarrassing examples of what not to do:
- \vfill
- \begin{center}
- \includegraphics[width=0.5\linewidth]{nasa_vision_sm}
- \end{center}
- \vfill
- \newpage
-
- \newthought{Stop} using PowerPoint bullet list slides for strategic
- planning, technical communication, or anything but a marketing pitch.
- Lou Gerstner simply shut off the overhead projector when he
- began to bring IBM back from the brink of bankruptcy in 1992.
- He introduced the novel idea of using complete sentences to describe
- how goals would be met.\cite{Gerstner2002}
- Furthermore, 3M has documented\cite{Shaw1998}
- that bullet lists make us intellectually
- lazy in three specific ways: (1)~they are too generic---they offer a
- series of things to do that could apply to any business, (2)~they leave
- critical relationships unspecified, and (3)~they leave critical
- assumptions about how the business works unstated.
- Our project planning needs to (a)~embrace change, not try
- to suppress it and (b)~use PERT charts with uncertainties
- instead of CPM diagrams.\cite{Martin2003}
- Budgets are forecast tools, not specifications.
- Costs should only be tracked to the same level of precision as benefits
- are tracked, because the cost-to-benefit ratio has an approximate
- uncertainty equal to the maximum of the cost and benefit
- uncertainties.\cite{DeMarco2003}
-
- \end{document}
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