s3 - people and change Flashcards
(24 cards)
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator was developed to allow us to try and understand the hard-wired preferences of an individual’s brain.
It is based on Jungian psychology and considers four choices or preferences. None of the choices are bad, they both have strengths and weaknesses and as individuals we sometimes use our lower preference for development or other reasons. In fact using the lower preference can be good in terms of widening our skills.
The first of the preferences is between Extravert and Introvert and it is important that we are clear on these terms, this is not about how social you are. It is about how you recover from stress or pressure.
The Extravert is more likely to talk through the issue with others seeking to gain others input and support. The Introvert will recover using inner resources, quietly working through the issue themselves. This gives us the codes E or I in our type.
The second preference deals with how we take information in, do we want lots of details or figures which build up to give a bigger picture, which is known as Sensing. Or would we prefer a high-level overview first allowing us to understand the big picture before looking at details, this is known as Intuiting. These are indicated by S or N in our type.
The third indicator is our decision-making process, these are both effective rational decision-making processes but based on a different viewpoint about what is crucial in order to make a decision.
The Thinking preference is based on balancing facts and coming to a decision by weighing these against each other.
The Feeling preference looks at the importance of each side of the decision to the people involved, the impact on them, and then comes to a decision based on weighing these factors. These give us the T or F in the indicator.
The final choice is between Judging or Perceiving, the J or P in the indicator.
The Judging preference is to make decisions now so that there is a clear indicator of what’s been decided and where are we going based on that. It does not mean that decisions cannot be changed, just that earlier decisions are preferred.
The Perceiving preference is to leave decisions until they are necessary. Why make a decision now if you may have to change it later? It is not that they will not make a decision but prefer to make one when it is required, with the benefit of all the information available at that point.
Social neuroscientists have found that we react in the same way in social situations as we do to
physical threats and rewards.
Changes have a lot of aspects that could be perceived as threats and, to to counter them, we need to provide things that the brain sees as rewards.
David Rock developed the neuroscience-based SCARF framework that comes in handy here. It stands for
Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness and Fairness.
As change managers, we want to stay aware of each aspect as we plan and implement so as to minimise threats and increase rewards.
First off, Status.
Feeling like your knowledge and skills will be less important or that you’ll be seen as less senior after the changes can cause a major threat response.
We can counteract this by providing opportunities for growth and learning, involving affected people in the change team, and recognising their contributions, ideally publicly, throughout the change process.
It’s all about boosting morale and keeping spirits high. Offering coaching to those facing bigger transitions is also valuable.
I’ll take the next one, which is Certainty.
People like to know what’s in store for them and to have familiar routines.
Change, on the other hand, can often feel like stepping into the unknown. But, by keeping everyone informed with clear and regular communication, including about what is unknown, and breaking down the changes into manageable steps, we can ease some of that uncertainty and make the transition smoother for everyone.
Now, let me explain Autonomy.
Feeling like changes are being imposed on you can be disempowering and trigger a threat response. That’s why it’s important to involve as many people as possible in the change process.
Use co-design techniques so that people feel they have a say in how things will be done after the changes. Create working groups and take their input seriously. Empowered teams are more likely to embrace change and drive success.
I’ll move on to Relatedness now.
Change very often disrupts social connections, like breaking up teams that are performing well and changing who we usually chat to at the water cooler.
Feeling cut off from a familiar social network can leave people feeling isolated. To combat this, we can focus on maintaining a sense of community, offer coaching and other support, and hold social events.
Also, by keeping teams intact wherever possible and actively encouraging the development of relationships in new teams, we can strengthen relationships and maintain morale.
And the fifth element is Fairness.
Humans are very sensitive to perceived unfairness, so it’s crucial to ensure that everyone feels equitably treated throughout the change process.
By setting clear expectations, providing regular, transparent updates and rich information and offering opportunities for participation for people at all levels of the organisation, we can build trust and ensure that everyone feels fairly treated.
In summary, using the neuroscience behind change via the SCARF framework gives us
powerful insights into how to manage the impact of changes on the people experiencing them.
As change managers, we should actively work to avoid perceptions of threats and increase opportunities for people to feel brain rewards. By doing so, we can really minimise the resistance we will face and make the process more positive for everyone.
If a person has a fixed mindset, they
believe that they cannot improve or learn, and this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy – they don’t learn or develop further. They tend to say things to themselves such as “I’m not good at maths”, or “I can’t read maps”.
people with a growth mindset,
do believe that they can grow and develop and this too becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy – they actually do learn and develop. People with growth mindsets are more likely to use phrases like “I’m not good at maths yet”, or “I can’t read maps yet”.
The simple addition of the word ‘yet’ opens up possibilities and encourages people to try harder and longer to learn and they tend to be more successful in their learning and development endeavours.
the change curve
The first reaction is always Shock. The effect of something new happening, if the change has been anticipated for a while then the shock is still there but reduced. If it is a complete surprise then the shock can be significant.
The second reaction is Denial. This can take two forms, firstly “I didn’t hear that correctly”, essentially they misheard what the change is or secondly “but they don’t mean us”. In both circumstances the person impacted is convinced that there is no need to change and that the announcement will be withdrawn.
The reaction now moves on to Anger or Blame. This can be anger at the people introducing the change or blame on those who may have caused the need for the change. This could be colleagues who may be perceived as doing things wrong or those who have forced the change for example legislation or regulation changes.
Having raged at the external world the fourth step is to internalise the anger and move into Self Blame or Bargaining. The Self Blame finds reasons why the change was caused by their own actions, the bargaining is about “if only ….” Looking for things that could have been done differently to prevent the need for change.
The fifth step is Depression and Confusion, having blamed themselves, this is the lowest point in terms of esteem, morale and productivity. The individual is not sure what to do next and cannot see a way of coping with the change.
The sixth step is Acceptance. This is when the individual concerned accepts that the change is necessary, is going to happen and has to be dealt with. This allows the individual to look forward. This is often the point at which the individual finds a way of making the change work for them.
The final step in the curve is Problem Solving. Having accepted the change the individual is finding ways to deal with the change and often takes advantage of the change.
william bridges —– A good way of looking at the needs of individuals going through change is to use the Stages of Transition identified by William Bridges.
He differentiated between Change and Transition. His definitions are shown here.
Essentially Change is the structured event, what you do and Transition is the human process of dealing with this.
Bridges identified three stages in Transition: Endings, the Neutral Zone and New Beginnings.
Endings allows us to understand the need for change, say goodbye to the old and prepare for the change itself.
The Neutral Zone is the time of uncertainty, the period of change itself, the disconcerting bit where the old has gone, but the new is not yet in place.
New Beginnings give people purpose, a plan and a sense of where they are going.
Daniel Pink has suggested that the three core areas that motivate people regarding the content side are: Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose.
● Autonomy can be described as, the ability to be self-directed and the freedom to decide on direction, methods and circumstances of our work
● Mastery as, the opportunity to grow, develop and excel at their work, to be better at the things they value, and finally
● Purpose, the sense that what they are doing adds value to their environment, their organisation and perhaps to the world in general.
Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is one of the techniques of positive psychology.
Steph, what can you tell us about AI?
AI focuses on developing existing positives, reframing change as a logical journey that builds on the positives that already exist, rather than focusing on fixing something that is currently broken.
AI, has a structured approach called the 4-D Cycle.
There are 4 steps in the cycle. The first one is Discovery, looking at what currently works well in the organisation, and valuing it.
From there, the next step is Dream, exploring how these successes can be built on and expanded. It’s an exercise in imagination. Once you have a number of ideas, you go into Design, which entails creating a plan to implement the dreams. It’s the opportunity to create something new.
The final step is Destiny. It’s all about moving the organisation towards the dream by engaging and developing people to deliver.
The Beckhard and Harris change formula can help explain the forces which are acting for and against the change for individuals, and therefore pinpoint areas to focus on to increase motivation.
The symbols in this formula stand for:
C - change
A - level of dissatisfaction with the status quo
B - desirability of the proposed change or end state
D - practicality of the change (knowledge of the next practical steps, minimal risk and disruption)
X - the perceived ‘cost’ of the change
Basically, an individual will decide to make the transition if they perceive that the effort or ‘cost’ of changing is worth it. In order for this to happen, they have to be unhappy with the way things currently are, happy with the proposed solution and not face too many unknowns or too much risk and disruption during the change.
Implied in the formula is the assumption that if either A, B or D are zero then the change initiative will never overcome the ‘cost’ of the change, people will resist and the change will fail.
Learning Anxiety and Survival Anxiety.
Learning Anxiety is the fear of not being able to learn something new, the sense of incompetence whilst acquiring new skills or knowledge. This is entirely natural; however a high learning anxiety will impede change as individuals are scared to learn or to try new things.
If this learning anxiety is very high then you will find individuals who are incapable of learning new things as the anxiety stops them trying. This is not uncommon in situations of limited change where individuals have had the same role and responsibilities for many years.
Survival Anxiety, on the other hand, is concerned with the fear of not surviving the change. In effect, a high survival anxiety encourages individuals to learn and support the change.
There are four levels of competence in this model, these are:
● Unconscious Incompetence
● Conscious Incompetence
● Conscious Competence, and
● Unconscious Competence.
So, Unconscious Incompetence means I don’t know that I can’t do it.
Paul:
Yes, or that you know how to do the current job, but don’t know about the new way, yet. It is often said that if you are not aware of your short comings then it is impossible to do something about them.
Karen:
Then Conscious Incompetence says I am aware I don’t know how to, I have something to learn. I am aware of my lack of competence.
Pete:
Conscious Competence is I know how to do the task but it is new to me, I have to think how to do it and will have to check I do it right.
Steph:
But when I’m Unconsciously Competent, I no longer have to check. I can do it right.
David Kolb developed a theory of adult learning, called the learning cycle.
There are four steps in the cycle, activity, reflecting, theorising and trying out.
● Activity is something that happens
● You think about it
● You identify a pattern
● You test your theory.
The cycle then repeats to ensure a clear and full understanding.
Honey and Mumford further developed this cycle and identified that different people had preferences to where they started on the cycle and called these preferences:
● Activist
● Reflector
● Theorist, and
● Pragmatist.
So Activists prefer to do something, what about the others?
Pete:
Theorists would prefer the background, lectures on theory, all the details on the reasoning before being asked to apply it.
Karen:
Whereas Pragmatists like simulations, workshops and problem-solving exercises, that allow an understanding of how the theory should be applied.
And the Reflectors?
They like to review, observe others, and compare the theory with the practical.
Marijne:
We all have preferences to where we start on the cycle but for effective learning we should cover all the steps. This should encourage us to think about designing and delivering learning in different ways to engage with all our audience.
