cameron and green making-sense-of-change-management

The underpinning theoryEndingBefore you can begin something new,you have to end what used to be. Youneed to identify who is losing what,expect a reaction and acknowledge thelosses openly. Repeat information aboutwhat is changing – it will take time to sink in. Mark the endings.Neutral zoneIn the neutral zone, people feel disoriented. Motivation falls and anxietyrises. Consensus may break down as attitudes become polarized. It can alsobe quite a creative time. The manager’s job is to ensure that people recognizethe neutral zone and treat it as part of the process. Temporary structuresmay be needed – possibly task forces and smaller teams. The managerneeds to find a way of taking the pulse of the organization on a regular basis.William Bridges suggested that we could learn from Moses and his timein the wilderness to really gain an understanding of how to managepeople during the neutral zone.MOSES AND THE NEUTRAL ZONE• Magnify the plagues. Increase the felt need for change.• Mark the ending. Make sure people are not hanging on to too muchof the past.• Deal with the murmuring. Don’t ignore people when they complain.It might be significant.• Give people access to the decision makers. Two-way communicationwith the top is vital.• Capitalize on the creative opportunity provided by the wilderness.The neutral zone provides a difference that allows for creative thinkingand acting.• Resist the urge to rush ahead. You can slow things down a little.• Understand the neutral zone leadership is special. This is not anormal time. Normal rules do not apply.Source: Bridges and Mitchell (2002)124