Change and

Innovation
Christine M. Pearson, Ph.D.
Professor of Global Leadership, Tbird/ASU
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-pearson-82447919
Agenda
• Reflection
• Organizational Change
• Basics of Change
• Why do people resist?
• The Paradox of Anxiety
• Kotter’s 8
• Kanter’s Wheel
• Katzenbach’s “Sticking” Change
Reflection: Your experiences
of workplace change
What drove success?
What blocked success?
Fundamentals of Planned Change
A+B C: B. Desired
Drivers and Blockers Future
State

A. Current State
Why do people resist change?

“It must be considered that there is

nothing more difficult to carry out, nor
more doubtful of success, nor more
dangerous to handle than to initiate a
new order of things…

…for the reformer has enemies in all

those who profit by the old order, and
only lukewarm defenders in all those
who would profit by the new order…“
(The Prince, 1513)
Why do people resist change?

People resist change because it may cause loss

of what is known, or the possibility of losing what
is known.
Why do people resist change?
• Comfort of “known” (friends, surroundings, tasks)
• New goals seem meaningless, unimportant to them
• Insufficient involvement in planning the change
• They want a different change
• The change conflicts w/ their current plans
• Change seen as attack on their current performance
• Change seen as others’ effort to make themselves
look good
• Change seen as opportunity to oppose/undermine
them
Most people prefer stability;
You must optimize anxiety to avert complacency and
paralysis.

“The Paradox of Anxiety”

“Getting someone’s attention”:

Anxiety of NOT Changing

must be greater than
Anxiety of Changing . . .
but not so great as to cause
Paralysis.
 High

Readiness
for Change

Low High
Level of Anxiety
Organizational change
succeeds one individual
at a time.
 High

Readiness
for Change

-A
-B
Low High
Level of Anxiety
How to increase
anxiety/pressure?
• Communicate urgency repeatedly
• Integrate strategically (objectives, perf appraisal)
w/new performance standards
• Tie pay/bonuses to compliance
• Tie into employment cycle at all phases
• Remove/reduce influence of resistors
• Enlist coalition to spread the word/hold accountable
• “Public execution” of ‘blockers’
How to increase
anxiety/pressure?
• avoid surprises
• create ownership as early as possible
• allow widespread input and feedback
• communicate - - up, down, across
• allow for risk, mistakes - - incl. your own
• manage the timing of changes
• enlist “driver” champions, reward them
Kotter’s 8 Steps to Change
• Establish urgency
• Form a powerful coalition
• Create a vision
• Communicate the vision
• Empower others to act on the vision
• Plan for and create short-term wins
• Consolidate improvements; produce more change
• Institutionalize new approaches
Kanter’s Change Wheel
Tips from Kanter
• ‘Rule of thirds’
• Find/use data that supports change
• Tap resources in/out of the org
• Listen to, empathize with resistors initially
• Know your audience: push/pull, stretch limits
• Respect everyone; make ‘drivers’ look good
Role Modeling to Achieve
Change:
• “Walk the talk”; “Talk the walk”
• Be enthusiastic
• Listen
• Don’t hide your own vulnerabilities/concerns
• Create opportunities for practice, learning
“Culture Change that Sticks”
(Katzenbach et al.)

“If they look hard enough, most firms will find they
already have pockets of people who practice the
behaviors they desire.”
“Culture Change that Sticks”
(Katzenbach et al.)

• Culture will trump strategy every time. You

must “reach people at an emotional level
and tap rational self-interest.”
• Emot: altruism, pride, how they feel about
work
• R. self-int: $$, position, recognition
Tips from Katzenbach

• #1: Start with what’s already working!

• Focus on a few critical shifts in behavior
• Integrate formal/informal interventions
• Measure/monitor cultural changes
(e.g., underlying beliefs, feelings, mind-sets)