Change Management

‘Un’ Managing Change

Albert Einstein once said, “The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once”. It is then perhaps evident that events constantly happen over time and things constantly evolve and thus change. When change is so imminent and certainly constant should it be managed by conscious interventions? Perhaps there is an alternate approach and that lies in making ‘Change’ a way of life! If Organizations are dynamic enough ‘Managing change’ will happen more from the ‘sub-conscious level’ of the organization. For this to take place it is essential that constant evolution forms the very nerve of Organization, deep rooted at the ‘Tacit Assumptions’ (As Edgar Schein defines it) level of Organization culture.

Organization Development or OD is a tool that organizations deploy to create or recreate processes and systems. In that view OD can also be called the instrument of ‘Change Management’. However recent studies especially by contemporary OD Practitioners like Rolland Sullivan, reveal that the very concept of OD needs to be redefined. Conventional OD approaches to change management are underpinned by conventional theories like the Kurt Lewin’s change model and Kotter’s 8 Step change model. Kurt Lewin’s change model characterizes a three stage change process of Unfreeze, Change and Refreeze (Fig 1). The Group or individual first becomes aware of the change, then the situation is diagnosed and new models of behavior are explored and tested which finally leads to application of the new behavior being evaluated, and if reinforced, adopted.

Figure 1 – Kurt Lewin’s Change Model (Action Research)

The Kotter’s eight step change model (Fig 2) causes change to become a campaign. Employees believe in the change after leaders convince them of the urgent need for the change to occur. The focus is primarily on preparing and accepting the change, rather than the actual change itself.

Figure 2 – Kotter’s 8 step Change Model...