The Dynamics of Change

Reflections on the human side of leading people through organisational change

Kalju Plank, Tor Eneroth

Publisher: Volvo, 2006, 105 pages

Keywords: Change Management

Last modified: May 6, 2024, 3:03 p.m.

This book is based on many years of working practically with various types of change processes in a range of industries and organisations. It is primarily intended for managers and their teams who are responsible for leading and implementing organisational changes and who want to balance and improve their ability to lead from a more human point of view. We hope to inspire you as a leader to work with your employees and thereby create greater awareness of and acceptance for the changes you are facing.

This can be accomplished by giving copies of this compendium to your team to be read and then selecting and completing some of the exercises at the back of this document. Most of these exercises could also be done successfully on a virtual level. We recommend a reflective reading approach, i.e. read small sections or one chapter at a time, reflect on what you have read, compare with your own experiences and, ideally, discuss this with your colleagues and employees.

Finally, this book is not only about change, it is about life! Good luck!

This book is based on a psychological approach in order to provide a better understanding of what motivates and gives energy to the change process. We use as our basis those concepts and theories that we have found valuable in our consultancy activities. These are then merged to create a practical foundation for our work. We ask questions and suggest exercises to help managers and their teams which we have found valuable when implementing changes. Our experience tells us that it is vital to establish a common language to clarify underlying forces and processes during periods of change to make the invisible visible and to realise the key difference between change and transformation. We hope this book will give you this language.

  1. Change vs Transformation
    • Types of change
    • Difference between change and transformation
    • Different reactions
    • Both content and process
    • Transformation takes time
    • Issues for reflection
  2. Leadership Challenge
    • Challenge 1: Being a manager and a leader
    • Challenge 2: Handling the visible and invisible
    • Challenge 3: Handling short and long-term management
    • Challenge 4: Leading through control and self-initiative
    • Challenge 5: Handling time "faster" and "things take time"
    • Challenge 6: Building trust and minimising mistrust
    • Challenge 7: Handling conflicting expectations
    • Survival strategies
    • Issues for reflection
  3. Learning
    • Time for contemplation
    • Discussion and dialogue
    • Participation
    • Dialogue and feedback
    • Learning takes time
    • No development, no life
    • Issues for reflection
  4. Planning
    • Paralysis and exclusion
    • Visions move us forward
    • …as does employee participation
    • …and insight into human reactions
    • Plan support activities
    • Use your support functions
    • Stakeholder analysis
    • Forcefield analysis
    • Balanced short-term plan
    • Issues for reflection
  5. Communication
    • Primary — not primary
    • Avoiding rumours
    • Establishing a good climate for communication
    • A few essential approaches
    • Active listening
    • Ask diagnostic questions
    • Resistance
    • Live as you speak
    • Managerial behaviour to avoid
    • The tough conversation
    • Issues for reflection
  6. Human Reactions
    • The different phases of the loss curve
    • Leading through the loss curve
    • The shock phase — denial
    • Reaction phase — resistance
    • The repair phase — exploration
    • New orientation phase — Commitment
    • Reactions on group and organisation levels
    • Issues for reflection
  7. Stress
    • Stress has physical effects
    • …and has internal and external origins
    • Stress is tiring and disruptive
    • Supporting and leading
    • Dangerous stress
    • Managers need to be more aware
    • Issues for reflection
  8. Firm Leadership
    • Creating understanding
    • Consultative leadership
    • Emotional intelligence
    • Value-based leadership
    • Create balance and energy
    • A highly efficient management team
    • Issues for reflection
  9. Building a Foundation for Change
    • Shared vision, mission and value platform
    • Reduce fear and foster trust
    • And finally
    • Issues for reflection
  10. Exercises
    • Your "Psychological Contract" — Is it strong or weak?
    • The Change Curve — Our present picture
    • Diagnostic Questions — How do your employees feel?
    • Your Support System — A self assessment
    • Force Field Analysis — Resisting or driving forces?
    • Stakeholder Analysis — Create shared expectations
    • Balanced Action Plan — Both content and process
    • Team Reflection — Conditions for learning
    • Learning Levels — Where are we?
    • Future dialogue — Desired and Probable