We take our motto "change without migraines"™ seriously. Here are a number of articles and assessment tools that focus on change management and resistance to change. We believe these tools for managing organizational change can help you support new initiatives. We encourage you to make copies.
Creating a Shift
Creating a Shift is a series of articles that focuses on ideas that have created positive shifts in organizations. These articles appear in The Journal for Quality and Participation, published by the Association of Quality and Participation.
A Personal Vision Shift >>
A new quality officer explains how he overcame resistance among his employees-when even he was afraid of the unknown.
Managing the White Space >>
What happens when two departments don't get along?
Open Book Management >>
Find out how opening the books to employees encourages trust and a willingness to change.
What Blocks Support >>
If you are trying to initiate change, you need to first understand the nature of resistance.
Results of Effective Change Survey >>
What's the difference between those changes in organizations that get results and those that don't? We knew that only about one-third of all major changes succeeded. But we wanted to know why? What sets apart the successful changes? What could we learn from those who do it well? This tool can help you avoid severe resistance to change.
The Middle Manager's Dilemma >>
What happens when you are called on to lead a major project? You weren't part of the planning, you weren't consulted on the best ways to implement it, you're not certain why this change is so important – and now you've got to lead it. Sound familiar? Read on. This article gives you tools for managing change.
Why Resistance Matters >>
This article details the three levels of resistance to change.
Conditions for Change Assessment >>
Major changes such as reengineering, enterprise resource planning systems (ERP), restructuring, quality improvement, and mergers require tremendous support from management and staff in order to succeed. Here are the things that need to be in place in order to increase your chances of success.
Change Readiness Assessment >>
Major changes such as reengineering, enterprise resource planning systems (ERP), restructuring, quality improvement, and mergers require tremendous support from management and staff in order to succeed. This assessment will help you determine the organization's capacity to handle one of these major changes.
Guidelines for Meetings >>
The things to include in a meeting where you want input.
Why Half of All Mergers Fail after the Honeymoon Ends >>
Although studies show that mergers don't work, organizations persist in thinking that this time it will be different. Here's why so many fail - and what to look out for.
Exploring Alternatives to Downsizing >>
Major changes such as mergers, reengineering, enterprise resource planning systems (ERP), and restructuring often result in downsizing. It doesn't have to be that way. Here are proven alternatives that can help you cut costs while ensuring the commitment of valued employees.
The Tinman Needs a Heart >>
For some reason reengineering still seems to be alive. This is an article I wrote when it was all the rage. Perhaps it can save you from making the same mistakes others made.
Thoughts on Empowerment >>
One of the best ways to avoiding the headaches associated with change is to get people involved. Here are a few tips on ways to create an environment where empowerment can flourish.
The Challenge of Creating Cross-Functional Teams >>
In a time of massive reorganizations due to mergers, reengineering, and enterprise resource planning systems (ERP), people need to be able to build alliances and teams across departments and across continents. This article provides a model for building these cross-departmental teams.
