Change management is people, people have thoughts, beliefs, changing the way we work follows changing how we think!
All changes come about because a bunch of humans believe changes are needed and are beneficial.
OrgTree defines beliefs as “our best thinking to date”, it means being open to change
This definition embraces and underpins the human desire to learn, grow and improve. To change our behavior or our approach requires a change in our thinking. Sometimes small, sometimes not.
Often the most difficult part of any change project is adapting or altering existing practices.
This is not because of the words on the page, most strategies make sense and are logical, but because most working practices represent the outcome of the organization’s applied skills, knowledge, experience and thinking.
If this is an organization’s “best thinking to date” then challenging that meets with resistance.
Resistance is naturally occurring, it is the brain’s natural defense to having or world views changed, it is the fear of being wrong, or being diminished in the tribe.
Resistance is more or less proportional to the gap between existing thinking and understanding of the necessary change.
Are we on the same page or the same book?
· Same page = Development conversation.
· Same chapter = Alignment conversation.
· Same book = Wait until you’ve caught up, this may take time, energy, pain….
· Different book on a different subject = Change won’t happen, conflict is likely.
Challenging long held beliefs, perhaps challenging plans and practices that have been in place for years, means challenging what groups have invested time, effort and resources into developing. Perhaps year-on-year plans are based on fundamental building blocks that entire departments have persuaded the organization are the best building blocks available, time and patience will prevail.
Sometimes we hold on to the past because of the investment not the benefit.
Sunk cost, the size of investment in your time and thinking not just the organization’s resources weigh heavily on any changes. Status may be damaged.
At OrgTree we bring change management based on mutual benefit.
But change only happens at the speed of trust, it is trust that removes friction and resistance, however: trust is a social risk assessment, it means if I do this, will I be helped or harmed?
The questions to ask are:
What change is the right change to make now, so that we can pave the way to the larger change that is necessary?
How can we manage change so that the organization adapts and adopts to change?
The answer lies in social experiments!
Changing the way we interact, changes the way we see individuals and the value they add.
Seeing individuals as a source of help on purpose, changes the way we consult, discuss and solve problems. It builds organic change into “systems” as people grow and adapt.
Social experiments are how we adapt systemically to listen to diverse perspectives by growing inclusivity and embedding respect in daily interactions, growing trust all the while.
If we therefore introduce social experiments that are designed to be smaller versions of the interactions we wish to see, bigger adaptations flow naturally over time.
OrgTree has a series of Social Experiments that embed ownership of change.
Soft Start to Soft Skills:
We provide 2 fun activities, or initatives, that easily introduce positive interactions with low to small social risk. Both are designed to be leadership led but attract engagement from across the organization.
The technology you already have is what we use, the investment is practically zero, as the experiments are aligned with human nature and take only a few hours to set up; but the step change in attitude is invaluable.
Both take around 4-5 weeks to show results and to build momentum.
Next: The Easy route to Soft Skills that are Hard.
Next, we have 4 questions of increasing social risk for both leadership and for those across the organization in targeted interactions. Trust is a social risk assessment, to increase trust, something needs to be at risk. We guide you in those risks, you must take them, be measured! We've done this many times, you haven't, but we are here to guide you.
The questions focus on fair support, and fair information sharing. Starting small, waiting for results, then increasing risk only once it is clear the thinking is embedded, and the organization is ready, the social risks were worth the benefits gained.
The questions are linked to social perceptions of role and responsibility, i.e. the social aspect of the role leaders have in providing guidance, support and resources to help others to be successful.
There is no training required across the organization.
There is no need to delve into the depths of psychological safety, emotional intelligence or personality profiling.
We only need to prepare a department to moderate, observe and communicate outcomes.
If you’ve been looking for a bridge to psychological safety from where you are now, we will help you diagnose where you are, plan the changes to take you to a future you desire, and help you build that future for you and your organization.
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