1.5 - About University

Endings Turmoil period New beginnings❑❑❑❑❑❑❑❑❑Do not assume others have movedwith you or are in the same phaseof transition. Often, you, as leader,are at the New Beginnings stageand wonder why others are notthere with you.It’s natural for people to gripe, towish for the good old days, thepast, the way things were.People need to express theirfeelings at Endings. Help them dothat:− Ask people about their feelings.− Protect persons who vent.− Express your own feelings.Your role is to listen, to empathize,not sympathize.Honor the past. Acknowledge whathad worked in the past.Do not take peoples’ ventingpersonally. You can fix things, butyou can’t fix people.Most Endings end naturally. Afterventing a few times, most peoplewill want to move on.Use the power of the group.Endings are much more powerfuland quicker when they occurpublicly and in a group session.Support is a key feature: Listen andlead.❑❑❑❑❑❑It’s natural and okay to be inturmoil:− Emotionally: confusion, stress,vacillation, blaming others− Thinking: asking why, resistingsuggestions, second-guessing− Behaviorally: “just goingthrough the motions”Some people will try to recapturethe way things were; others willwant to rush ahead to the future.Transitions can’t be forced, butthey can be led. Turmoil takessome time, but be definite about atime limit.Insist on the rational changewhile personally supporting yourpeople. Be tough on the problembut supportive of people. “Toughlove” is an apt phrase duringtransitions.Focus on the here and now, onshort-term, familiar activities.Insist that the day-to-day workgets done.Mantain a balance betweenindividual and group work:− Individual: Deal with individualissues, help individuals throughthe transition.− Group: Harness the power of thegroup; help the group throughthe change.❑❑❑❑❑❑❑Declare the transition over.Announce New Beginnings.Celebrate or otherwise symbolicallymark the New Beginnings.Recognize new beginnings:− Emotionally: new energy, newspirit, focus outward− Thinking: setting new goals,looking ahead, focusing onresults− Behaviorally: talk of future, focuson productivityHelp group members look beyondthe day-to-day (which youencouraged during the Turmoilperiod). Formulate expectations,state them clearly, and follow up.Clarify longer-range goals, results,vision, and strategy. Focus on atarget and marshal work towardthat target.A group will need to (re)consider:− group mission or purpose,− goals,− roles and accountabilities, and− ground rules.Check for systems alignment. Oneof the major reasons for the failureof change to take hold is that otherinteracting organizational systemsdo not support the change.What are the key actions you will take to facilitate the people side of change?R ELATED LEADERSHIP TOOLS5.1 Change Equation 5.6 Aligning Systems 8.2 Direct Communication5.3 Change Readiness 5.7 Stakeholder Groups 9.1 Leadership VersatilityF OR FURTHER ASSISTANCEBridges, William. Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes. Addison-Wesley, 1980.Campbell, Susan M. From Chaos to Confidence: Survival Strategies for the New Workplace. Simon & Schuster, 1995.Hiebert, Murray. Powerful Professionals: Getting Your Expertise Used Inside Your Organization. Recursion Press, 1999.Satir, Virginia. The New Peoplemaking. Science and Behavior Books, 1988.162 SECTION 5 TOOLS FOR LEADING CHANGE